


A Masquerade of Foes and Allies

by BaeyoungnBaeran



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Blood and Violence, Drama, Empire, F/M, Historical Fantasy, Kingdoms, MCs 1-5 from gallery, MCs are not the readers, Main Characters are the Different MC's on MM, Named MCs, Rebellion, Revolution, Slow Burn, Wars, burn so slow, but feel free to imagine yourselves as them, court intrigue, it takes time to reach first degree, more pairings to be added as story goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaeyoungnBaeran/pseuds/BaeyoungnBaeran
Summary: From a young age, it was determined that Crown Prince Jumin Han would preserve the Han Empire’s preeminence. A nation that stood tall in all aspects, he must follow the footsteps of the ancestors who rose the empire to greatness. He must uphold every teaching, for straying from tradition meant failure as an emperor and leading his subjects to downfall.Chinsun Bo of the Choi Kingdom was offered a chance not everyone had—pristine education alongside the crown prince. As the daughter of a traveling doctor widely reputed to be the best, it was an offer of gratitude by the Emperor of Han himself. Unbeknownst even to her father, the emperor had other reasons.As the sheltered girl attends every class in the Han palace, she would learn the cruel way that to navigate the royal court, one must shed their innocence along the way.In the belly of the empire hides a brew without flames. She, who catches a whiff, is thereby invited to the ball. Accept the gentleman’s hand and pretend to be led, for in a masquerade where foes and allies are masked, every step and turn cannot be trusted. To survive the party, one must learn how to lead the two-way dance for dominance.
Relationships: Han Jumin/Main Character, V | Kim Jihyun/Main Character
Kudos: 36





	1. Whelve

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 trailer
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5vn3XtXo_0
> 
> Info:  
> Chinsun - Brunette MC 1

_It should have baffled anyone as to why someone would pin their hopes on a wailing blob of flesh._

_Yet the people neither protested nor disagreed. He was not just any other child his age. Destined for excellence, an inability to exceed or even meet their expectations meant a path that strayed from his destiny… one where he threw away centuries-worth of legacy… one that left the empire to rot._

_As a descendant of the Han Dynasty, engraved in his blood was a duty to never disappoint his ancestors who founded the land._

_“You were only lucky so why should you look down on me?”_

_No, it was not luck that brought him to where he was. Luck was just a concept men created to explain unforeseeable victories from the most unexpected people._

_It was not a coincidence, and he was not one of the unexpected._

_It was his fate._

_**Ash gray eyes snapped open.** _

~~~~~~

Muffled sounds of whip against flesh resounded loud enough to pass through the unblemished white walls of the room. From the other side of the room’s elegantly sculpted wooden door, one of the two junior court ladies visibly grimaced from a particularly loud hit.

“This might take longer than last week,” the younger of the two whispered to her companion.

“Shh!”

Although the listeners flinched, the receiver kept his face blank and mouth shut all throughout.

He was already numb to the pain even before the 56th hit, and after one more hit, the old woman put down her whip.

“You may have shown potential in combat and your studies," she sneered, "but I still have yet to see you respect your elders.”

The black-haired boy held back a snort. _It was another one of the hag’s lectures._

The woman pursed her thin lips. “Filial piety that never wavers… is what distinguishes our clan from those below us. Disregarding centuries-worth of tradition is a blatant disrespect to our ancestors.”

This lecture had always been utterly ludicrous to him, and each time he heard of it, it took every ounce of his self-control to stop an exasperated eye roll from coming out. This time, however, it managed to slip; though fortunately, it escaped the older woman's sight. Had she noticed that form of disrespect, she would have subjected him to a hundred more whippings.

_Why did he have to care about what people he never met had to say? And even then, they were already dead to matter._

“Never embarrass the royal family in front of anyone again—not even in front of the servants! You may be the next ruler of the empire, but you should never forget where you came from.” She turned and walked away from him.

The court ladies took the retreating footsteps as a signal to open the doors. Following her exit, he frowned at the spot she last had been in.

It was a routine, really. One rude remark towards his elders would earn him a deafening slap on either his face or his bum. The only difference was the duration of the punishment and how many hits he would receive.

Of course, he followed what his grandmother taught him about unfailingly respecting her in front of anyone. Members of the royal family always stick to their words.

And just like how an emperor stays true to his words, the Crown Prince also stuck true to the routine which was doing the last part of his ritual. 

_With no one but him in the room, it was the perfect time to mockingly mimic the old crone’s many ramblings wordlessly... like a true Crown Prince._

**~~~~~~~**

_With an ambition to forge his own destiny, the eldest was a force to be reckoned with;_

_Sharing the same blood as his brothers had never been of importance;_

_He would get to them before the thought of even surpassing him crosses their minds;_

_They should never have let their guard down, not even with family;_

_Naivete was unbecoming for those of the highest status;_

_They should have known from the start_

_..._

_Family was never always the first priority_

**~~~~~~~**

  
  


“Your Highness." The teal-haired boy bowed in greeting to the Crown Prince sat atop a large rock.

“Jihyun.” The black-haired boy gave a small nod in return.

“You’re amusing, Jumin,” Jihyun said with a chuckle as he sat cross-legged next to the scowling Crown Prince. “I have always thought Her Majesty is brutal… and uh… forgive my honesty, but after your less- than-princely behavior yesterday, I think you somewhat deserve it.”

“Grandmother deserved it too,” Jumin retorted, picking up a small stone near his foot and throwing it on the frozen pond in front of them.

“Don’t you mean 'Her Majesty'? She’s still the mother of the nation.” 

“She’ll be stepping down from her position in a few weeks. After that, I won’t have to respect or follow her orders,” he tried to grab more stones in an attempt to stock them in his tiny hand, failing to notice the humored gaze his companion sent his way. 

“But even before Her Majesty steps down, it’s not as if you do those things at all.” Jihyun took another one and continued their game of throwing rocks.

At his remark, the royalty halted midway from hurling the last stone in his fist. He slowly turned his head to give him a blank look, but the boy simply smirked at the horizon and ignored his silent disbelief. In all honesty, Jumin normally enjoys his presence, but there are rare occasions when his good friend would somehow find a way to blatantly and—to his amazement—indirectly offend him with absolute honesty. He never truly learned how he does that, although whenever he uses it, he hates it.

"I know I’ve told you this countless times—maybe you are even sick of it, and you just don’t express your opinion.” He glowered while shifting his attention from his confidant to the snowflake that landed atop his palm.

“You know better than anyone how sick I am of my title. This ‘duty’...” at that certain word followed a forceful air from his nose, “they expect me to accomplish. She says I embarrassed her in front of the servants,” he trailed off only to clench the stones tightly, leaving a mark on his unblemished skin, “but she’s no good either. She never cared about our wants or needs. Father marrying a woman she handpicked… is something I cannot stomach.”

“Still, won’t you give Lady Ryu a chance? She has nothing to do with your fight.”

Jumin sneered. “Chance? Absolutely not! She’s just the same as Grandmother, just less worse. Still, marrying Father off to a random noblewoman is expected of her.”

Jihyun sighed. His response was not a surprise. It was useless; from all the years he knew him, he had gotten used to His Highness' stubbornness. Whether it would benefit or be a hindrance to him as the future father of the empire was too soon to tell; but at that moment, it was definitely not a benefit.

“And contrary to what that hag says, I am not ignorant. I don’t think she hates me; I know she does.”

His best friend probably thought him ungrateful for the privilege handed to him from his birth or possibly just nervous. Nevertheless, Jumin stayed firm in his actions, for he noticed something amiss that Jihyun did not.

_Not only did Her Majesty want him out of her sight… but from the moment even before he was born, she had, and still, wished him dead._

~~~~~~

The adoration of servants and tight-bunned court ladies-in-training went unnoticed by the young albino, seemingly intent on every swing of his wooden short sword.

It might not be an unusual occurrence, but his white hair and striking red eyes definitely were. Everywhere he went, stares and whispers trailed after him. Whereas red eyes were a symbol of bad luck in legends, it was an interesting rarity with him. His snow-colored hair, albeit strange, enhanced the boy’s pale complexion and round cheeks. Even the crabbiest of adults found him too adorable to resist.

After an hour of practicing, he placed his sword on the ground and wiped his forehead with the sleeves of his top. A court lady, slightly shorter and a year or two older, brought him a tray with a jug and a glass of water.

“Young Master Hyun.” The young girl bowed to the 9-year old who returned the gesture politely.

“Jaehee! How many times have I told you not to call me that? It’s embarrassing....” his voice faded almost to a whisper.

“Forgive me for disobeying your wishes, Young Master, but I do not wish to address you with disrespect.”

He took the glass from the tray and gulped all the contents down to its last sip, but then his brow raised after understanding dawned on him.

“You have a weird meaning for disrespect, Jaehee. If you’re still thinking about last week’s party, just forget about it.” 

Fumbling with the tray, she whispered, “No, it was my fault for being clumsy.” 

“Tch! Those stupid nobles are…” he scrunched his face as he tried to think of a better term but failed to do so, “stupid, that’s what. Those who do not deserve respect should not make their own definition of respect. They don’t even deserve to be taken seriously. And besides—" His own stomach’s grumbling cut off his statement. It must have known the tirade of insults that were to come.

Flustered, he cleared his throat and looked away from Jaehee. The girl stifled a giggle from escaping her lips and ignored the light tinge of pink that dusted her cheeks.

“It’s time for supper. His Majesty is waiting for you.”

“Oh right, I forgot!” He placed the glass back on the tray and lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Thanks for the drink! You should eat too.” And with a sheepish grin, he dashed out of the training room, once again not noticing the growing blush on the girl’s face.

~~~~~~

There was only one thing Hyun liked about suppers and that was stuffing his stomach with good food. All the other factors seemed quite undesirable.

Among those undesirable factors housed a throne specially reserved for the _perfect_ Han Jumin.

Looking at _His Perfect Highness’_ impeccable posture and apathetic face never failed to induce an eye roll in him. He was stoic; from the layers of his skin to the deepest part of his soul, everything about him screamed indifference. He had watched him fall from one of their combat practices, but not a single reaction appeared aside his typical impassive expression. It was as though there was something wrong with his brain. As to whether Jumin was aware or not, Hyun was clueless. _How would he know when that guy’s face had chronic constipation in the emotional area?_

It was another soundless dinner save for the soft noises of forks and knives hitting each other.

Heaven forbid even hearing a whisper. There was a reason why the last time was the last, and why the first time was never followed by another—courtesy of the Empress. _At the time, he could’ve sworn he became ugly for a minute._

In his defense, it had not been his fault; not even slightly at fault. As expected, it had been Jumin’s fault. If only he hadn’t looked at him with his brow raised, he would not have screamed at him to fall off his high horse and get trampled by a hundred more horses.

All because he did not know the difference between the spoon on the left and the other spoon on its left. _What was even the point of having so many spoons?_ _If it can hold a decent bite-sized food, then it served its purpose._

> _"That’s for dessert,” Jumin had said, brow raised at Hyun’s ignorance per usual._

> _"Shut up,” he grumbled with his mouth stuffed with food._

> _"Huh? I was expecting a ‘thank you'. Well, good for you; at least in the future, you won’t look like an oaf.”_

> _What did yo_ —"

> _A loud clang had reverberated inside the dining room. Following the source of the noise, his eyes landed on Her Majesty instead._

> _Just one look at her and he knew what went on in her head._

With Jumin’s presence in the dining area, he was bound to lose weight.

~~~~~~

_Their foundations would collapse;_

_A vision of bloodstains paint the walls of his room;_

_A prodigal son burns the palace, leaving cracked screams in his wake;_

_An empire soaked with his comrades’ blood_

_And scattered bones of those he vowed to protect_

_~~~~~~_

“Master, why do I have to learn how to fight? I’ll be the future emperor; I’ll have people to protect me.”

“That naive thinking may pave way to your downfall, Your Highness. You should be able to protect yourself, especially this land you’re sworn to.” The seasoned swordsman said.

It was the first time Jumin voiced out his curiosities; not even a single word of complaint was said during their previous sparring sessions. Whether he enjoyed the training or not, he did not know.

Despite that, never once did he waver in their numerous hours of practice. Every swing, block, punch, throw and kick improved everyday.

Back in his day, it had been uncommon to train children as young as Crown Prince Han Jumin the ways of war; some would learn how to fight for leisure, but academics were the usual pursuits of young boys, for war was too incomprehensible for them to understand.

> _“I deliver Her Most Gracious Majesty’s royal edict,” a man, barely in his 20s, of tall stature and dark gray eyes, unrolled a wooden scroll and cleared his throat. “‘It is with deep concern to inform that our empire’s been receiving threats of attack. As the Mother of the Empire, I hereby declare to submit yourselves to the nation our ancestors fought to uplift. Starting from the age of 14, it is mandatory to learn the many ways of combat. For the great Fathers have never forsaken us, as loyal subjects, it is your duty to return their generosity with unwavering loyalty. To die for the empire… is your greatest offer to the ancestors.’”_

> _He closed the scroll, faced the tight-lipped Empress and bowed to his knees, “Thank you for your boundless generosity, Your Imperial Majesty!”_

> _And the rest followed suit, “Thank you for your boundless generosity, Your Imperial Majesty!”_

It had been nearly two decades since the Empress Regnant delivered her edict...

and just a year ago when His Imperial Majesty Han Kangdae hand-picked him to train the then-eight-year old Prince Han Jumin in combat and military strategies.

In his mind, it was no different from teaching a young boy how to kill.

But as long as His Majesty wished it, his morals do not matter.

_His Emperor, right or wrong, was more important than anything.  
  
  
_

* * *

  
_whelve_

_(v) to bury something deep, to hide; to roll or surge over something_


	2. Occhiolism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics with spacing means flashback

**__ **

**_Peace—such a concept had been a foreign one, with chaos normalized and part of daily life._ **

_The land we inhabit had gone through tribulations—wars waged left and right, crime ran rampant, and allies indistinguishable from foes._

_Witnessing us tearing each other apart devastated the gods so much that they had reached their last resort—to send four Saints to meddle with the war._

_With their arrival came peace, and therefore, mankind revered them as their saviours. Festivals were held in their name; the fattest cattle were offered, and the freshest crops were harvested for them. When the gods saw the impact the Saints had, they had them designated as the rightful rulers of the land, giving each a portion to rule over._

_Unable to conceive offspring to inherit their abilities, the Saints took in disciples willing to learn under them. These disciples would then be called the ‘Divine’ clan, and would be taught to use their ‘Guides’._

_Auras lie within all humans but the Divines were special; they had the ability to materialize their auras as a force to protect and defend them. Every Divine’s aura took the form of their own spiritual animal._

_However, to conjure a Guide that manifested their spiritual animal was an art that took years of practice to master, and most would live their entire lifetime unable to evoke their animal Guide. Only the most skilled and gifted were able to do it._

_Most of the time, even the most experienced Divine could only conjure a Guide that took no form; a blast of aura difficult to control and easily drains their energy. With formed Guides, the energy used for it was minimal but powerful—much more powerful than formless Guides._

_This power was what the Saints used to quell centuries-worth of wars. Everything they knew was passed onto the Divine, except for their ability of self-healing which was innate only to the Saints._

_As a reward for their loyalty and dedication, the Divine were given right-hand men known as the ‘Blessed’, who had the ability to heal others at the cost of their energy. To serve for the Divine was considered the highest honour man can receive._

_The Blessed’s efforts were deeply appreciated, and so they were rewarded with their own helpers. These were servants who would support them at their weakest state._

_After the passing of the Saints, the Divines would then be the ruling clans of the land—Han, Choi, Moon, and Hwang. Han, the mainland where the saints first graced the land with their light, was held as the empire, whilst the other three became kingdoms under its rule._

_The Blessed, however, though chosen by the gods themselves, were also humans and were easily enticed by the splendor of sin. The epiphany that the Divine would always be a step higher than them blinded one Blessed that he deceived his fellowmen with heresies, passing them as truth. They desired more than what they could have._

_Through his treacherous actions, he managed to gain their support; but he found it was not enough, for the Divine were so powerful that they needed their helpers to join their cause._

_Although the helpers were bound to them, it had been difficult to gain their trust, for their first priority had always been the gods and the Divine. Thus, the traitorous Blessed seduced them with promises of power beyond their imaginations, muddling their loyalties until they were finally converted._

_The Blessed readied their helpers with the fight against the Divine by enchanting certain weapons and handing it to them._

_Their betrayal marked the advent of the Holy War._

_Greed and envy smeared the soils with red, their depravity shattering centuries of calm with the screams of innocents they swore to defend._

_With the support of the gods, the outnumbered Divine triumphed against the Blessed, and this marked the end of the Holy War._

_Charging them for treason had not sufficed the Divine. As punishment for the bloodshed they caused from the havoc they reintroduced, they cursed not only the traitors but also the many generations to come after them._

_The helpers then became the ‘Banished’—banished from ever entering the mainland and sealed their powers. However, the Divine never forgot their previous loyalty, and thus their powers could only manifest if the Banished had a pure heart._

_The right-hand men were more unfortunate—exiled from the land itself and thrown to a desolate island. Their curse was similar to the Banished, except a charmed object is needed to manifest it. However, their ultimate curse was that once they use up all their powers, an incurable plague would consume them, leaving their bodies to rot._

_That punishment paled in comparison to some that would turn into cannibalistic monsters—devoid of humanity and incapable of restraint._

_In the many generations to come, they have come to be known as the Cursed._

_With the former Blessed brought to exile, wise monks and priests deemed worthy replaced the former. The new Blessed were then given either the visionary eye or the ability to heal others._

_Peace had once again engulfed the land over the millenia._

_._

_._

_._

“Ah!” The young redhead hissed as he let go of the ink brush he held. _He was not yet done shading his beard!_

“Pay attention!”

Saeyoung brought his hand closer to his chest, rubbing the spot where the old crone’s stick just struck him. He took a glance at the doodled version of his tutor— _ruined but similar enough. Except, he now had three moles due to the ink splatter from the smack he received._

A redhead identical to him tapped his shoulder, whispering, “Saeyoung, he might tell Master. Master might deprive you of food.”

“It’s fine,” Saeyoung grumbled, waving a dismissive hand. “You can have it. It tastes terrible.”

_An absolute lie._ The Han household has always placed emphasis on quality even in the most mundane matters like food. The Han Empire stood tall in all aspects. Everything coming from it should reflect the quality it exudes. Anything subpar was an anomaly, never the norm.

Suppose he found the taste terrible, he still would have gobbled it up within seconds. 

_Every grain used to be a luxury he had to risk his head for._

This did nothing to ease the younger’s nerves. “That’s not what I meant…”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”

The tutor cleared his throat and proceeded with the lecture, leaving Saeyoung with no choice but to listen to him meander about a topic he had no interest in.

It had always bothered him how people still obsess over blood. _Divine? Blessed? Banished? Cursed? Why should it matter?_

In the end, the blood flowing inside their bodies was of the same colour— _red._

**o-o-o-o**

_Following the devastation caused by the Holy War, the sixth emperor, Tsu the Great, offered a solution: to designate a place that cannot be touched by war—Yohaeng._

_Located at the center, the Land of Yohaeng was the bridge connecting the empire and the three kingdoms together. It was a land that Divine blessed with Guardians to mark it safe from wars that may come and a place where merchants came to trade their goods._

_Southwest of the empire is where our land is located. It consisted of four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. However, their seasons were notably colder than the others, especially their winters which would sometimes reach harsh conditions._

_We are known for our jet black hair, tall stature, gray eyes, and pale skin. As we pride ourselves with our pure blood, we rarely sully our blood with other ethnicities._

_We have contributed to the development of our land throughout the years—discovering and concocting medicines to treat formerly fatal plagues, creating more advanced weapons such as rifles and grenades, and strengthening our architectures._

_Under our empire were three kingdoms named after the first ancestor of each Divine clan—Choi, Moon, and Hwang._

_The southeastern Kingdom of Hwang, despite being the smallest in land area, brimmed with riches on par with the Han Empire, and was abundant in gemstones worth more than any commoner’s life. The Hwangs were the embodiment of extravagance; halls of homes with expensive furniture untouched, nightly garments made with material more costly than ordinary women’s ball gowns, and jewellery worn on a day-to-day basis._

_The Hwangs valued beauty and their unique appearance, possessing unusual colours of hair and eyes. They rarely went out of their houses without patting their faces with powders, brushing coloured cream on their eyelids, and painting their lips with red or pink. Anyone that failed to meet their standards was considered “unfortunate” and “scorned by the gods”._

_In the northeast was the Kingdom of Moon, the third-largest land, and it consisted of two seasons—wet and dry. Due to this, they are able to trade crops and livestock._

_The Moons used to be known for their blonde hair and green eyes but years of intermixing, especially with the Hwangs, led to it being a melting pot of varying ethnicities._

_The Moons prided themselves in arts, with the most famed and beloved artists in history hailing from it. Nobility with riches to spare sought their artistic touch; wasting gold on paintings to adorn their walls, sculptures to display outside their homes, indulging on potteries and ceramics that boast of their wealth. Having even one masterpiece from them was considered a badge of status and success._

_Located northwest was the Kingdom of Choi, the second-largest when it came to land area. Similar to Moon, Choi consisted of a wet and dry season, but was noticeably warmer than Moon’s weather and had harsher rainfalls than Moon. As the least coldest of the four, Choi thrived in agriculture and livestock._

_The citizens of Choi were known for their slight tan and brown hair—or rarely red hair—and their brown to amber eyes._

_Fifty years prior to our present, the king of Choi closed its kingdom off and could only be visited by royals and the highest nobles._

_Annually, every Saints’ Advent Day, each kingdom had to make an offering to the Imperial family, be it their most priceless gemstones, their most breathtaking women, or their finest wines. It goes without saying—only the best was reserved for the Han Empire._

.

.

.

_For history had always been written in the perspective of the victors, Jumin always wondered just how much of history was blurred in the name of patriotism._

The two-hour long lecture about the history of the empire was dismissed.

In the room were the Crown Prince, the second-born prince, and the son of the emperor’s royal adviser.

Once the three were finished fixing their things, the middle-aged tutor at the front walked to where they sat. Upon reaching them, he bowed with one knee and looked down at the ground. “Your Highness.”

Jumin and Hyun dipped their heads and the tutor nodded.

“Your Highness,” Jihyun bowed, then straightened himself, “are you ready to go?”

Jumin nodded.

“We’ll take our leave, Your Highness Hyun.” Jihyun bowed.

Without looking at them, Hyun nodded.

“Goodbye, Hyun,” Jumin said, turning back and heading to the door. As he slid the door open and stepped foot out the room...

“Die!”

_Jumin expected nothing less from Hyun._

Jumin and Jihyun walked side-by-side, discussing their lessons and sharing about what happened with their day.

The Crown Prince disliked small talk, thinking it was pointless if there was nothing of substance to talk about...

_...but if it was Jihyun he talked to, it was fine._

“Are you excited about tomorrow?”

The question had always been a yearly lighthearted joke from Jihyun and he knew the next words that would exit Jumin's lips.

Jumin shrugged. “Not really.”

**o-o-o-o**

“He does not listen to his tutors, sleeps during lectures, and never respects his elders!”

“I apologize on his behalf,” the elder man beside him bowed his head. “Customs are different from where he came from and he is still adjusting to our way of life. I will make sure to discipline him once we arrive home.”

Seukchin placed a hand behind Saeyoung’s head and pushed it down. Saeyoung tried to resist, to no avail. His master was stronger than him.

_Efforts to placate the tutor failed._

The old tutor huffed, “How will he learn if you insist on taking all the blame? Acting the way he does confirms the rumour—”

“Is something the matter?”

A deep voice reverberated in the hallway. 

“Your Majesty.” Without wasting a second, they got down to their knees, bowing until their palms and foreheads touched the ground.

Saeyoung and Saeran followed their lead.

A man surrounded by four eunuchs slowly approached them.

“Rise,” he commanded.

Slowly, they rose, both hands clasped in front, and heads bowed down.

“We deeply apologize for the commotion, Your Majesty.”

Saeyoung slightly raised his head, his sights falling on the _much beloved_ emperor. With gray hair piled up in a tight top bun and light gray eyes inherent to the Hans—the emperor looked nothing like his two sons. The only features he shared with them was his tall height. His eyes, though a gray shade possessed by the Hans, was a lighter shade than Jumin’s dark ash gray.

Saeyoung looked in awe at the emperor’s attire. He was garbed in a long-sleeved robe made from silk. It was black with gold accents intricately woven without any loose thread in the shape of their symbolic animal, the wolf. He wore two sashes—a white one tied around his hips and a dark violet one looped around his left shoulder to the right side of his waist.

From head to toe, he gave off a regal aura someone of his status could exemplify. It was clear from the way he stood that he carried himself in a dignified manner.

Amber eyes met gray.

“Saeyoung!” His master loudly whispered.

There was a slight quirk of the emperor’s thick brow at their eye contact. 

The tutor widened his eyes at Saeyoung, fuming, then raised a hand.

Saeyoung flinched and squeezed his eyes shut.

“You insolent—!”

The emperor raised a hand, immediately halting the male tutor. “Enough.”

That one-word command was met with confusion from everyone in his presence. At that moment, dread filled Seukchin; while the tutor berating and about to hit Saeyoung was undesirable enough, the _emperor_ inserting himself into their personal situation was a different matter. A man that descended from the saints and seated at the highest position possessed the power to wipe an entire kingdom with just a snap of his fingers.

With one eye, Saeyoung snuck a peek, then slowly opened both eyes. He glanced at everyone around the room and found that they all wore the same puzzled look on their faces, curious and waiting with bated breath for what was about to come. 

“I must say that he is quite lucky that it was me and not Her Majesty,” he pursed his lips in a thin line and shook his head. “Had it been the Empress Regnant, he would have been executed on the spot.”

Seukchin genuflected on his spot, “Thank you for your boundless mercy, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The emperor nodded, “Are you heading home?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“I pray to Risas that you three arrive home safely.”

Seukchin bowed his head, “Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.”

With the eunuchs around him, the emperor walked away.

When Seukchin was sure that the emperor had turned a corner, he stood. He then placed his hands behind a confused Saeyoung and Saeran.

“Let’s go.”

And with that, they exited the palace, riding a carriage that the emperor reserved for them.

For the duration of the trip, confusion was plastered on Saeyoung’s face. _What had they been prattling about? And why had they been acting as if he committed a grave crime? It’s not like he killed someone!_

**o-o-o-o**

Dinner was silent as a brunette boy and a weary man in his late 40s, with black—almost graying—hair prayed to the god of harvest.

Across them, the two redheaded brothers waited for them to finish their prayers. They did not share the same belief as them; as to be expected from someone who did not hail from Han. Where they came from, only one god mattered— _the Creator Himself._

Once they were done with their prayer, Seukchin clasped his hands together, ending it with a _“Thank you for the food.”_

The younger ones followed suit, “Thank you for the food." 

Just as they were about to scoop rice, a quivering voice interrupted.

“H-has…”

Everyone at the table turned to look at Saeran.

“H-Has His Imperial Majesty always b-been that understanding?”

Saeyoung’s ears perked at the question, his interest piqued. He knew completely nothing about the emperor.

The twins waited for Seukchin’s answer. 

“Yes,” Seukchin replied. “This is not the first time this has happened.”

Saeran exhaled a breath. _Thank heavens the emperor showed them mercy._

“But he can be strict and merciless if needed.”

Saeyoung felt his throat closing up. He wondered how the emperor looked whenever he gives the signal to release the guillotine’s ropes. A chill ran across his spine imagining the crowd of people watching his head fall to the ground.

“He only excused Saeyoung’s actions because he is not yet of age,” he said.

“Saeyoung did something?” The brunette teen interjected.

Saeyoung ignored Tom, “But what did I do wrong that I almost lost my head?” he snapped. _He had already accepted the fact that he was problematic, but no matter how hard he tried to understand, he just could not see where he went wrong._

“We are not to look at the emperor in the eye. I had expected you to know that as it is a basic rule applied in all kingdoms not only to the Imperial family, but the royal families themselves.”

“So,” Saeyoung gulped, “if I were 16, he would have had me beheaded?”

“Precisely.”

Saeyoung had narrowly escaped death. Just three years away from execution. _It’s not that he was afraid of death…_

“I’m happy he gave Brother a chance.”

_...he was afraid of Saeran having no one to protect him._

“Since we are talking about this subject matter, before we proceed with dinner, I should at least teach you the basic customs.”

The twins waited for his next words. 

“We are forbidden to utter His Imperial Majesty’s name.”

“Why?”

“It’s disrespectful.”

The answer did not satisfy the twins but decided to let it go and simply follow tradition.

“Now,” Seukchin took his fork, “let’s not be rude to our food and eat.

They all ate quietly. This time, Saeyoung and Saeran were now used to the Han dining etiquette, now flowing naturally unlike the first few days when they often caught themselves going back to their former dining habits.

> _The two greedily held the rice bowl to their faces, about to scoop a portion of rice to their mouths..._

> _He set his spoon down and cleared his throat, “Saeyoung, Saeran.”_

> _The clipped tone of his voice made them pause. They glanced at one another before facing him. “Yes, Master?”_

> _“It is inappropriate to raise a bowl to your mouth.”_

> _They hesitated before placing the bowl back down. “How so?”_

> _Before Seukchin could answer their question, the teenage brunette beside him interjected, “Only low-class people do that.”_

> _An innocent remark out of ignorance._

> _"Tom.”_

> _The stern tone was not lost on the three. On most days, he had a dignified, but gentle voice that made those he talked to at ease, but at the same time, treated him with the utmost respect._

> _Tom scanned his master’s face, then the two redheads across them. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? That’s what the tutors say.”_

> _Head hung low, Saeran fiddled with the hem of his brown shirt, trying but failing to hide the downcast expression on his face._

> _Nostrils flaring, Saeyoung gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. With venom flashing in his amber eyes, ignited within Saeyoung was the urge to try out the combat moves he had seen from fighting rings he used to bet on. “I’ll kill you!”_

> _Saeyoung lunged forward at Tom, knocking over the dishes in the process. He swung his fist, effectively landing a hard punch on Tom’s jaw._

> _"Saeyoung!” Seukchin abruptly stood and gripped Saeyoung’s arm. “Enough!”_

> _The boy won’t budge. For his figure, he was quite strong._

> _"Saeyoung!” Saeran grabbed Saeyoung’s thin arm, mustering all his strength to pull his brother back. “Please stop!”_

> _At his touch, the anger bubbling within Saeyoung was slowly waning. Eventually, he backed off, yet the frown was still evident on his face._

> _No one, not even their Master, could calm down the short-tempered boy except for his younger twin._

> _“I understand how incensed you are, but letting your temper get the better of you is unbecoming of a 13-year old. And as for you,” he turned to face Tom._

> _Tom winced, grimacing at the metallic taste of blood in his mouth._

> _"You should speak with tact from now on.”_

> _Tom did not answer for a while, mulling over Seukchin’s words_

> _"I apologize if I offended you,” he said. “I truly am.”_

> _Nearly a decade of training and living with the young man gave no doubt in Seukchin’s mind that Tom deeply regretted his insensitivity. There was no sarcasm or malice laced in Tom’s voice, neither did his brown eyes hide a look of insincerity._

> _"I-It’s fine,” said the younger twin. “Brother has forgiven you.”_

> _The deep frown and crease between Saeyoung’s eyebrows contradicted Saeran’s words._

> _"Saeyoung,” he sighed, feeling as though 10 years of his lifespan were being shaved off. “I’m telling you this because I do not want you to get in harm’s way. Traditions are sacred here.”_

> _Sulking still, Saeyoung petulantly crossed his arms, grumbling as he glared at his food._

> _"Now that you live here, act like a true Han citizen. Now if you two have nothing else to say,” Seukchin looked from Tom to Saeyoung, “continue eating. It’s disrespectful to leave food uneaten.”_

> _Saeyoung rolled his eyes. As much as he despised returning to his hometown, habits he picked up from over the years was not one he could easily change._

He snuck a look at Saeran— _identical in appearance they may be, there were subtleties easily missed at first glance._

Saeran shared the same tousled scarlet hair as Saeyoung’s; his amber eyes were the exact same shade as Saeyoung but unlike him, his own ones possessed a doe-eyed charm to it.

Looking at Saeran brought out in Saeyoung a soft smile out of his usual grumpy face, proud that his younger brother was gaining a bit of weight.

Even for their age, they were scrawny—bones almost jutted out from underneath their skin and oversized shirts hung loosely over their bodies. Despite both of them being almost skin and bones, Saeyoung had somewhat more meat in his body than Saeran did.

But that was where the similarities ended.

Saeyoung was more aggressive, not shying away from fights. His fighting style was an unfamiliar scene to anyone with the misfortune of irking him. Lacking in discipline and mercy, he fought dirtily, fearing no law or taboo.

_He was reminiscent of a wild animal viciously ripping its prey apart._

It was aggression that stemmed not from confidence but from bravado.

On the other hand, Saeran had always had a vulnerable air around him, his head always hung low, sticking close and hiding behind his older twin.

It was a difference easily noticed by everyone that crossed their paths, especially _that woman._

The gentle smile that graced Saeyoung’s features now transitioned into a murderous glare. His surroundings blurred and slowly faded to black. _That excrement parading herself as a human… the root of Saeran’s insecurities; the ‘woman’ that repeatedly hammered Saeran’s confidence to smithereens; the woman that left Saeran feeling degraded, scared and useless._

What that woman accused him of as _‘weak’_ , Saeyoung saw as unconditional kindness. Saeran may be sickly and weak in constitution, but his heart was a strength in and of itself.

_If only they saw Saeran the way he has always seen him as—kind, gentle, and forgiving; something even the slightly healthier Saeyoung could never emulate._

“Brother, are you fine?” A quiet voice whispered beside him. 

Saeran’s cold hand brought Saeyoung back to the present. He looked at Saeran’s hand above his, then quickly loosened his grip on the fork, a crescent-shaped mark now etched on his palms.

Saeyoung nodded, quickly replacing his glower with a forced smile. “Yeah! Don’t worry about me.”

_Most importantly, Saeran did not need to be strong. He just needed to keep the promise they swore upon their melting ice creams._

_He just needed to stay as the kind Saeran he always was._

"Alright."

_Saeran was, and always will be, Saeyoung’s strength and weakness._

**o-o-o-o**

The soft rapping from the door brought the 12-year old brunette out of her intense concentration, shifting her eyes from a page of her thick hardbound novel to the wooden door.

“Yes?”

“Chinsun? Do you have a moment?” asked the gruff voice from the other side of the door.

Chinsun sat up straight and called, “Come in.”

The door opened, creaking at the slightest push as a stocky male brunette of average height entered.

Chinsun noticed the scroll in his hand. “What’s that, Pa?”

Her father repeatedly tapped it on his free palm. “Remember the dress you wore from Lady Ahn’s party?”

Chinsun blinked, leaning her head back as she looked at the bare ceiling, jogging her memory. As someone who rarely accompanied her father to the lavish parties he was invited to, the recognition came in an instant. “I think so. Why?”

“Does it still fit you?”

She hummed in thought then nodded, “I’m sure it does. It’s only been a year.”

“Here,” he said as he handed her the paper.

Chinsun took it from his hand and inspected it. Carefully, she pulled the violet string tied around it and unrolled the white scroll, its length stopping just short of her forearm. 

Her amber eyes scanned the inked message—brief and to the point with neat strokes. Its calligraphy exuded an artistic elegance that she aspired to match.

_‘I must work harder on my calligraphy.’_

The letter read: 

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

**_The Bo family,_ **

**_In celebration of His Imperial Highness’ 15th day of birth,_ **

**_the honour of your attendance is requested at the Han palace._ **

**_The Imperial Palace_ **

_﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌_

**o-o-o-o**

_occhiolism_

_(n.) the awareness of the smallness of your perspective, by which you couldn’t possibly draw any meaningful conclusions at all, about the world or the past or the complexities of culture, because although your life is an epic and unrepeatable anecdote, it still only has a sample size of one and may end up being the control for a much wilder experiment happening in the next room._

**o-o-o-o**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omggg Baeyoung here aaaand it's been soooo long and like I haven't updated in "a while" because of real life matters and frankly, I have no other excuse other than who I am as a person lololol (sorry procrastinator). I put this on hiatus because I became interested in other ideas but I've always planned on getting back to this and now I did~!
> 
> Next chapter will be posted around next week!
> 
> Anyway, do let us know what you think! Love y'all mwa mwa~!


	3. Trouvaille

_Her most expensive gown was nothing compared to their cheapest clothing._

Coachmen opened doors that let out beautiful and handsome nobles in their most extravagant garb, complete with ruffles that made them resemble fancy fluffy bells, embedded jewels—as though their attires were not made of fabric but _little gemstones—_ canes, hats, and waistlines long enough to risk being stepped on.

_Did she come unprepared?_ She clutched the hem of her dress and wiped the forming sweat on her forehead.

Their embellished gowns had to have been custom-made; another glaring difference with hers—she only bought hers from a seamstress’ store, albeit a highly skilled one.

She donned a polo-necked, white topped-gown with tight long sleeves that had a puff at the top. A violet bow wrapped around the waist, followed by a flowing brown-red waistline pleated at the end; it reached long enough to hide her white high-heeled shoes that were only two inches high. The simplicity was not worth 25 gold. The other gowns, though beautiful, were made of rough materials and only resulted in irritation.

The women—including some of the men— had on them different kinds of accessories such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and rings...

… yet on her wrist was a thin silver bracelet with a small turquoise stone attached in the middle; a white-stringed necklace with a tree-shaped moonstone pendant adorned her neck; a jade-embedded barrette held her brown hair in a loose braided bun.

She bit her lip—the least painful alternative to cracking her head.

Mirrors were deceiving and so was her father. Then again, in his eyes, a child playing in the mud was adorable but scowls only formed for the ones who had to clean it

She turned her head away and stared at the white fountain. _Never again will she believe her Pa’s ‘compliments’._

Royal guards in their standard white and blue uniforms opened the doors as she, along with some guests, neared the doors.

As she walked around the garden, she scrunched her nose from a whiff of alcohol. _Adults seemed to love them enough to drink in a 15-year old's birthday party._

Someone once sent her father a bottle of the bitter liquid.

> _"You smell weird,” Her younger self said as her father poured his third glass._

> _His whistling came to a halt. “Good way or bad way?”_

> _“I don’t know.”_

> _“Want a taste?” She nodded and took the glass from his hand. Immediately upon tasting it, she hunched over and nearly gagged._

> _"Ugh! Bad way!”_

> _He shrugged. “More for me, I guess.”_

She narrowly avoided stepping on a passing lady’s gown but stepping her own instead; at least, her reflexes improved.

_She spoke too soon._

“Ah!” a poor girl yelped at the same time her body jerked at the sudden tap.

They both widened their eyes.

“I’m. So. Sorry!” she bowed at each word.

This was the end of her. They’ll send her father a beautifully lace-wrapped present with her head inside. _Crime? Laid a hand on a noble child due to clumsiness by daydreaming._

_She had no right to complain; she bumped into a noble’s child!_

The victim shook her head and waved at her. “Ah, it’s fine! It’s fine. You don’t have to worry. You can stop now; they’re staring at us.”

Her body stiffened. _True to her word, they did have an audience._

Adults holding wine glasses eyed her up and down, most likely scrutinizing her behavior due to the small incident. 

_Probably due to her attire too._

Fortunately, divine intervention came; after finding her acceptable, they went back to their own businesses. This allowed her to let out a deep breath she did not know she was holding. Nobles were not known to hold interest on something average, and high class people or materials were usually within their reach. If they can have it, it was not worth the attention. Unsurprisingly, what mattered to them was dirt. Any dirt they could find on others were always valuable to them, but a simple tap was not too controversial to their taste.

The embarrassment had not left her when she faced the girl again looking upset. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

“No, I should be sorry!" she waved frantically, "I must have scared you.”

“Oh no! I mean, it’s true you scared me but that’s not your fault!”

With great enthusiasm, she grabbed her hand and held it in her warm ones. “My name’s Rika. I come from the Moon Kingdom. And you are?”

This caught her off guard as she stared into the girl's ethereal green eyes. The blonde continued to beam at her, and only after she tilted her head did the girl being questioned realized she had yet to answer. “Ah, I'm Ch-chinsun!” She bowed again before clearing her throat. “Chinsun. From Choi Kingdom.”

“Nice to meet you, Chinsun! How come I’ve never seen you before?”

“Um, pardon?”

“I mean, it’s just that most of us attend the Prince’s parties every year. My family is quite close to the emperor, so I have never missed a party, that is why I know almost everyone here.”

“Ah,” she smiled bashfully, “Papa is a travelling doctor, and he often takes me along with him. We might have been somewhere else and missed all of them."

"Oh, does he offer free medical treatments? I'm pretty sure I have heard a few people talk about a doctor who travels to different places to help those who can't afford visiting physicians."

Chinsun blinked in surprise at this new information. "I am not sure if we are talking about the same person, but it does sound like Papa. Is he famous?"

"I'm not sure either."

Rika let out a heartfelt laugh upon seeing her perplexed expression, and Chinsun could not help but immediately warm up to the sound of her sincerity. 

“So that’s why you don’t seem familiar.” 

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, although it was not as awkward as she was supposed to feel. There was something about the beautiful girl's presence that seemed to emit comfort, like a person troubled people run to for a little bit of relief. 

_She wanted to be like her._

Rika turned her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. When her attention shifted back to her, her eyes suddenly held a hint of mirth in them; therefore, she felt wary after hearing her next words.

"Do you mind if I introduce you to someone I know?”

She answered reluctantly, “Oh, sure.”

She nearly did not finish her statement as Rika wrapped her slender fingers around her wrist and pulled her to the side, stopping in front of a boy with blond hair.

_He looked almost like Rika. Same soft features, wavy golden hair, and fair skin… only their eyes ruined the nearly perfect similarity. Whereas Rika’s were an almond-shaped bright green, the boy’s round ones were a striking violet._

“Chinsun, this is my cousin, Yoosung.” She nudged Yoosung with a grin. “Yoosung, this is Chinsun. She’s pretty, right?”

Chinsun’s cheeks heated up. In all honesty, she had no idea what to think of the current situation.

_Was this supposed to be rude because she was sure she did not look her best._

Unfortunately—or fortunately in her case—Chinsun’s face was not the only one heating up.

“R-rika!”

She tilted her head in false curiosity, “Hmm? Am I wrong?”

Yoosung fiddled with his sleeves, but before he could say a proper response, Chinsun took action. “It’s nice to meet you, Yoosung!” she declared as she curtsied.

A darker shade of pink tinged his cheeks. He fumbled for the right response in his head but failed miserably, “U-uh, me too!" he squeaked, "I mean, the pleasure is mine!”

They were too engrossed in their disconcerting introduction that they failed to notice Rika's retreating figure, and it was only when Rika shouted did they realize she was leaving them behind. “Ah! Jihyun!” she waved at someone from afar. “I’ll excuse myself. Have fun!”

“W-wai—" Their frantic call was cut short for the older girl had already distanced herself from them.

A moment of silence passed.

Yoosung nearly looked everywhere, to avoid eye contact with her; however, he was not raised to act impolitely to others, thus seeing the lass in front of him show discomfort from the silence stirred guilt within him. 

Swallowing the huge lump in his throat, he flung the last bit of courage left in his gut and hoped to all deities to deliver his poor soul from anything that may scar his dignity.

"Ah, sorry," he started, "I don’t know what she... _ate_ ,” The last word had an inflection in his tone.

Her eyes twinkled when she smiled; it was not the same as his cousin's whose beauty gave emphasis to her smile, but Chinsun's were oddly... captivating. Her golden eyes were something he seldom saw from people he had encountered so far. In addition to his fascination, her long brown hair—though common—looked pampered from roots to ends.

_She was truly pretty._

Yoosung must have found the floor interesting.

Chinsun's smile grew. It was an unusual gesture for a noble's child to interact with the same amount of finesse she could see in the boy in front of her. It was a strange trait she found likeable, because she felt it made him real. He was Yoosung, a person who was not just another face in the crowd of high class people.

"I don’t know if anyone told you this, but I think you look a bit like her.”

He rubbed his neck and chuckled, “Thanks,” then his smile dropped immediately. "Wait, is that a compliment or an insult?”

Chinsun tilted her head, “Rika’s very pretty. How can it be an insult?”

“I mean, I know she is! Don’t get me wrong!” Both widened their eyes, realizing their noses were a few inches from touching. _When did their faces get closer?_

Yoosung stepped back; his cheeks reddening by the second, “It’s just that… do I look like a girl?”

She hummed in thought, "Well, I can see that you are a boy." She stared at his blushing face. “But! I can also see why some would mistake you for a girl.”

“Ah, is that so?” His right cheek puffed out.

Chinsun vehemently shook her head. “No, that’s not it! It’s a good thing! I think you’re even prettier than some girls I know!"

Her reassurance had only caused him to sulk further. It took her a couple of seconds to process her own sentence, and when she finally comprehended the impact of it, she winced.

_Their roles have now changed._

**o-o-o-o**

On their way back from the desserts table, Chinsun softly laughed.

Yoosung sighed dejectedly. “I hope she forgot about it…” he whined.

“I don’t know if I should feel bad for you or Areum,” Chinsun wheezed in-between laughs.

“Aahh, don’t laugh! I honestly wanted to die that day.”

“Aw, think of it this—” The sound of someone clanging a wine glass cut her off.

Indistinct gossip and chatter died down as they turned their heads to the source of the sound. A man in white high-collared greatcoat with white trousers and leather boots stood in front of the audience. His clothes, although different in color, looked nearly identical to the royal guards' who stood outside.

Catching a glimpse of Rika waving, they saw her signaling them to head back to their table.

“Is everyone enjoying the party?” Judging from the red sash that hung on his right shoulder and the golden shoulder tassels, he must be...

Collective murmurs of "Yes, Your Majesty” replied back.

The emperor nodded, “I’m glad to hear that. I hope it is the same for the young ladies and gentlemen. After all, it is the Crown Prince’s birthday. I’m sure he’d be delighted to witness his friends having fun.” 

At the mention of _‘friends’,_ the birthday boy rolled his eyes. 

“As such, I have a question for the young ones."

The guests' children who were previously moving their food with forks now had their interests piqued.

“Is anyone here familiar with _‘The Homeless_ ’?”

Chinsun’s head perked. _Her father had read that book to her long ago._

A few collective " _Yes"_ echoed throughout the patio.

“To those who have read it, as you know from the beginning up to the ending of the story, the penniless man remained poor. Do you think he was unfortunate?"

A few hands rose. Despite the hands raised in the background, it was a particular girl that caught the attention of the guests.

Chinsun had hers raised mid-air until Rika pulled her elbow down. "The Emperor didn't specifically ask for girls' opinion, Chinsun! The question is automatically given for the boys to answer," the young lady whispered to the lass. As if just realizing that she was the only girl with her hand raised, she slowly put it back down, but the damage was already done.

_No one ever told her about that._

The emperor making his way towards their table only increased the murmurs; eyes that focused on his every step did not help matters at all.

She was already preparing her last words of how thankful she was to her father when _His Majesty_ stopped in front of them. “Yes, young lady?”

Chinsun gulped what was left of her pride and exhaled. At this moment, she was the unfortunate one and not the penniless character in the book. She was about to answer His Highness when a shaky voice interrupted.

“Your Majesty, if I may answer?” Yoosung’s soft voice shook with every word he uttered.

_There was hope!_ She beamed at her savior _. She can still live!_

The emperor nodded at him. “You may."

Yoosung stood up straight; his right knee buckled as he did. "In my opinion, Your Majesty," he bowed, "the homeless man was unlucky, since he always had to worry about his daily necessities. The strangers he met treated him badly too, simply because they had this generalization that it is due to irresponsibility that poor people become poor… and giving them donations would make them lazy."

"Do you think those people are wrong for assuming that?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Why is that?"

"Because each person is unique, and I was made aware by my elders that opportunities do not come easily to everyone. Like a market man with no customers, no matter how long he stays up selling goods, if no one purchases from him, his business will fall. If everyone decides a poor man is worthless, there's a high chance he will remain in poverty."

The corner of the emperor's lips curved up as he looked down at the boy before him, approval evident on his face. He gestured for him to sit down. “That is a wise answer for a young lad. And how about you, young lady?" he inquired to Chinsun.

The said girl was snapped out of her false refuge and dragged back to the reality that she did not successfully evade the royalty's attention.

_It’s impossible to cheat death._

Her heart pounded inside her chest. It felt like an execution was looming just around the corner; nevertheless, she stood and bowed to the emperor with her head hung low.

"Your Majesty,” she quaked, "I believe… whether he was fortunate or not would vary depending on the experiences of the reader, but in my perspective, he seemed fortunate."

Audible confusion was heard from the crowd for a brief moment.

"Normally, a poor man like him without a family only needs to worry about food, water, and maybe a shelter when it rains… or a place to keep him warm. A man with hundreds of golds has hundreds of problems, and a man with thousands of golds has thousands of problems."

Han Kangdae scratched his chin, as though comprehending her explanation word per word. "I am the emperor, and I have millions of golds. Do you think I have a million problems? Does my appearance say so?" he asked with hidden humor.

Chinsun's breath hitched from the sudden increase in tension. "Your Majesty," she stammered, "you always look honorable and proud, for it is because of you that the Han Empire continues to flourish—but surely, every great thing started from a multitude of problems! His Imperial Majesty is the foundation of this empire; therefore, when problems arise, the weight falls unto His Imperial Majesty."

She raised her head to look at him, although her eyes did not meet his. "The entire empire is His Imperial Majesty's belonging, but the entire empire is also His Imperial Majesty’s burden," she added.

The crowd hung to her every word and so did the emperor. Not only Chinsun, but everyone gauged his reaction with bated breath.

After what seemed like a century, the long awaited moment came. “What’s your name?” Kangdae scrutinized her.

She flinched when his voice suddenly cut through the silence. “Bo Chinsun, Your Majesty," she answered.

There was the slightest quirk on his brows. “By any chance, are you Bo Daejung's daughter?”

Curiosity burst within her chest. She was sure her father was a simple, travelling doctor who treated commoners and a few nobles on rare occasions. Rika was a noble, and therefore carried a small possibility that she had met her father. _But by any chance, had he met the emperor?_

“Yes, Your Majesty," she hesitantly confirmed.

Whispers slowly rose from silence, filling the entire room with the sound of baffled noises.

“Bo? Who’s that?”

“I haven’t heard of him.”

"Is he anyone significant to His Imperial Majesty?"

She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut. No, she shouldn’t. _Her Pa said she was a strong girl._

It felt like time slowed down to prolong her torture; but thankfully, her long awaited peace had finally come. “You may sit down." He walked away from her to return to his spot.

She sat down, face flushed and eyes welled. _He was not impressed._

Even the guests thought so. Men and women alike snickered and whispered to themselves; some did not even bother with subtleties.

“How ill-bred...”

“Arrogance knows no shame.”

“The youth these days are quite spirited.”

"I’m sure you meant rude?”

Rika gently rubbed her back while Yoosung gave her a sympathetic look.

He then began asking others who had their hands raised earlier, possibly looking for the correct answer to his question.

_Perhaps death seemed kinder than the torture she was subjected to._

**o-o-o-o**

A woman overlooking from the balcony watched as servants cleaned up what was left from the festivity earlier. It was a pleasant day indeed, but it was not far from usual. She felt the cold breeze of the winter night gently brushing against her skin. The sky was gloomy in the empire. Nothing has changed since the first time she visited from Hwang. From the pine trees surrounding the palace to the often silent halls, things were the same.

Cold arms made their way around her waist, “Is something bothering you, Glam?” Kangdae whispered into her ear. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.

Smiling, she closed her eyes and let herself melt into his embrace, “I was just thinking of how time flies by so fast.”

This earned her a chuckle from the man who held her so dearly. “Ah, yes. Seeing them grow up makes me feel old.”

The woman let out a soft laugh. “Do not fret. You look as if you haven’t aged the last thirty years. If you ask me, you look even younger than Lord Tak.”

“Having six children proved to be too unkind on him."

The couple's laughter brightened the evening atmosphere. 

"Speaking of Lord Tak, I heard their second-born is doing particularly well in linguistics," she remarked.

“Impressive, but not a surprise. That child has always been a talented lad.”

“Yes, he is. Also, are you aware? Lady Hae’s daughter received three marriage proposals. There were two from Hwang and one from Moon.”

“Was it the youngest?”

“Yes. The youngest _and_ loveliest. Oh! Speaking of lovely, do you remember Sarah?" Kangdae could not help but chuckle as he listened to his wife chatter.

“You’ve introduced her, yes.”

“Don’t you think she’s quite the beauty?” she asked to which he nodded. “Not to mention talented with the violin.”

“Hm, I’d like to see that. We could use some entertainment once in a while.”

Glam clapped her hands together. "I’ll make sure to invite her family next time. But it’s a shame.”

He looked at his wife while his chin rested on her shoulder. “What is?”

“Even though she is beautiful," she shook her head and continued, "she hasn’t received any proposals yet.”

“The lords must be hurrying to have their children wed,” he sighed, a deep and long one. “I know I should be happy for them, but marriage reminds me of Jumin.”

“Jumin? How so?”

“Does it not worry you? He hasn’t shown any interest in girls.”

“Jumin is still young. He’ll eventually reach that stage. And besides,” she broke from his embrace and faced her husband, “there are many girls his age out there. You can choose anyone from them.”

He grimaced, “Yes, however, I want him to have the final say.”

There was not a single word as she furrowed her brows.

“Strange, right?" he claimed, "Marriage is a sacred oath. I just want him to experience what I have. Marrying not for duty, but for love.”

“He just lacks interaction with girls. Surely, there’s someone who may catch his interest. I’m not saying to pick someone for him. We’ll just introduce him to girls he might like.”

At her suggestion, the emperor's head jolted up whilst his mood immediately brightened. “That’s a good one! What kind of girls do you think he might fancy?”

“Naturally someone beautiful, influential, and well-mannered.”

“Beautiful, influential, and well-mannered,” he muttered. “Those are good traits to have. Does anyone come into your mind?”

“I suppose the only ones I can think of is Lady Hae’s youngest—maybe Sarah too."

Kangdae clicked his tongue. “I’m having a hard time choosing myself. Many of our guests’ children meet the criteria.”

“Lord Hak’s daughter also seems like a good choice… Lord Chu’s eldest too.” 

“Those are also excellent choices," he agreed.

Silence consumed them both; his fingers playfully ran through her hair. The stillness was comfortable, but she knew her husband well, and at this moment, she could sense something was running on his mind.

“Say, Glam, what do you think of Doctor Bo’s daughter?”

This earned a crease between her eyebrows, “Who?”

“I thought you’d remember her. She’s the girl who answered my question about ‘ _The Homeless'_ ending.”

“Oh, that girl,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes, “The complete opposite of the girls I just mentioned. Lacking in breeding and beauty. Not someone who would catch Jumin’s eye. Why do you ask?”

“Is that so? She seemed like an interesting girl.”

With her husband gazing at the sky, Glam found herself sharply drawing a breath.

_Her husband must have had one too many drinks._

  
  


~~~~~~

_Power was just an abstract that slipped from his fingers;_

_but with her departure, her voice was but a mere echo,_

_slipping further from his reach with each passing day._

_Without her voice, what once was abstract turned tangible;_

_what once did not matter replaced her touch,_

_eventually warming him in a lover’s embrace_

_~~~~~~_

A deep voice called just before she finished the final chapter of _"Game of the Generals"_. She did not mind getting disturbed from her reading, especially when it was her Pa asking for her time. There were a few days she did not appreciate the disturbance, and these were when she was reading a thrilling story to her liking. Luckily, today was not one of those.

"Coming!” She closed and set her book down before throwing herself out of bed.

As she went down the staircase, she saw her father reading a letter.

“You called, Pa?”

Eyes still focused on the letter, he called once more in a serious tone, “Chinsun.”

“Is there,” she stretched out the vowels, "something wrong?"

He did not answer until he looked up at where she was standing, frown lines deeper than usual.

“Why does Emperor Han want to see you?”

People say illusions fade with a blink, so she did. It was worth a try, because right now, she thought she heard him wrong...

_...but he still held the cursed paper._

With a last blink that could have permanently shut her eyes closed, she hastily grabbed it, causing a slight tear at the upper corner.

_~~~~~~~_

**_Doctor Bo,_ **

**_His Majesty sends his sincerest gratitude for the medicine you gave. His headache subsided in just a few hours all thanks to you. With that said, His Majesty asks you to bring your daughter for your next visit. He will be expecting her presence._ **

**_The Royal Palace_ **

_~~~~~~~_

_She felt bile rising up to her throat._

“Did you do something?”

She stretched her mouth into a tight smile. She must have looked constipated, for her father squinted his eyes at her.

“Ah, it’s actually a funny story. Very funny. Amusing. Hilarious. Laughable. I cannot even say it without laughing so I’ll just tell you when it gets… not funny.”

A pregnant pause came between the two before she dashed off into her room.

Plopping her body to the bed, she grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed it hard against her face.

_“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”_

It was an ineffective way to stifle one's scream, given she accidentally left her door open.

~~~~~

_trouvaille_

_(n.) something lovely discovered by chance_

_~~~~~_

* * *

Chinsun after finding out about the letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you guys liked this chapter~ Sorry for the late update lolololol. Do tell us what you guys think in the comments if you want to \^o^/ And if you're interested, you can check out more of our stories here in our profile!
> 
> Thank you and yororong~
> 
> Notes:  
> Chinsun - Brunette MC1


	4. Couthy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some slight changes from our original plan, for the map; Choi, Hwang, and Moon would be kingdoms instead of empires.

A week had passed since she first received the letter, and two weeks since that dreadful day she brought shame to her family's name. She had begged her father countless times to make an excuse for them to decline the invitation, but her pleading had proved to be useless. She had clutched unto her father’s pants with teary eyes, yet to no prevail, her dearest father successfully pried her fingers off; his apologetic expression dug its way to her memory.

Chinsun shook her head.

_"...His Majesty asks you to bring your daughter for your next visit…"_

Another shake came.

_"...His Majesty asks you to bring your daughter for your next visit…"_

She shook her head more vigorously this time as the words she read kept reverberating in her mind.

_"Why does Emperor Han want to see you?"_

_‘Useless!’_ A hit on the head would have been a better option.

“This way.” The voice of the old tight-bunned court lady broke her train of thought. “His Imperial Majesty would like to speak to you alone.”

The middle-aged man nodded to the woman and turned to his daughter. “Chinsun, stay here for a moment.”

She wanted to lock her stare on the floor, but she tiptoed and pulled his shoulder down instead. Following her actions, he moved to lower himself to her height. “If it’s not a bother," she whispered quite loudly into his ear, "could you please tell His Imperial Majesty that I am deeply sorry for what happened and to cancel the execution?"

He sighed then straightened his back. With a nod to the court lady, he followed her inside.

_It was a time to stay hopeful._

_'If I were going to die, I might as well do something worthwhile_.' She knelt and set down her knapsack, rummaging through its contents, putting out a few of the things outside. With the bag completely empty, she sighed and looked through it again, even shaking the bag downwards. She scrunched her nose, finding nothing interesting among the things she started to pack back inside her bag.

She looked up at the imposing architecture that stood in front of her. Judging from the height, it must have had three—or even four—floors.

_‘How many white stones were made for the exterior?’_

She marvelled wide-eyed at the structure. _The Hans must love their symmetry; even the front door and windows had symmetrical squares._ Despite the geometrical patterns, the asymmetrical roof and turrets of varying sizes broke the near-perfect symmetry.

Supposing she survived the day, at least her sketchbook was still home. In the meantime, she would just have to marvel at the tall masterpiece.

**o-o-o-o**

“Here is the ointment Her Imperial Majesty has requested. It is to be used twice a day: once before bedtime and once just before bathing,” he informed as he pulled out another glass jar. “Aloe vera in case of a winter rash. Please use it sparingly. I am not quite sure when I would make another one, what with the expensive and slow trade in Choi. Also— ”

“Thank you, Daejung,” he was cut off by the emperor’s imposing voice. "About your daughter…" he trailed off.

Daejung genuflected and lowered his head in an attempt to hide his distress. _‘What had she gotten herself into?’_ He had started formulating the best way he could possibly relay an apology, but he held his tongue before the emperor until the situation was clear.

The momentary silence made his pounding heart ring in his ears. He was not even aware how anxious he was till he heard his own heartbeat drumming.

"You had served my first wife's health until her very last breath, and for that I will always be grateful. Now, I would like to return your generosity to my family by offering your daughter professional education."

Daejung slowly raised his head. It was not the response he expected.

“Forgive me. I don’t quite follow, Your Majesty.”

“The mentors I have chosen are the best in this empire. They are my sons' mentors, and I want your daughter to have the privilege to finish with optimum education."

“I served Her Majesty out of free will. I am overjoyed by the offer, but a reward might be unnecessary, for I have only done what a doctor is supposed to do."

"Nonsense! Goodness must be rewarded, so I insist! Unless you would like a different reward?" he inquired whilst looking curiously expectant.

To say he was surprised with the sudden turn of events was an understatement. Daejung had readied himself for the worst the second he stepped into the emperor's room. Like a deer cornered by a hungry lion which chose to spare its life, his bewilderment manifested on every inch of him.

Hastily shaking his head, he blurted, "The offer is perfect, Your Majesty, though I would like to ask my child if she would approve of it. I always put Chinsun's feelings into consideration… I hope it's not of disrespect."

  
  


**o-o-o-o**

Her papa ordered her to stay put, but her legs had a mind of their own and she now found herself inside the palace. 

The interior design had her in awe, she must admit. She openly gaped at the artistic works that decorated the entire hall she walked on. Paintings, sculptures, mosaic artworks made from different materials depicting tribes, gods and myths adorned the place. All of them were breathtaking; however, one painting had caused her steps to slow down to a halt. 

A majestic lion stood on top of a boulder before several lionesses. They were on dry land and all the lionesses looked thin from starvation. One of them carried a deer in its bite as it stood in front of the great lion. It was a beautiful yet simple painting, but something about it tugged at her sense of familiarity. Minutes might have passed, still she did not move her gaze from the masterpiece.

A gust of air passed as two teens ran past her.

“Gaaah! Give it to me! Give it back! Give it back!” The redhead tiptoed and jumped, struggling with futile effort to grab the wooden sword from the tall albino's hand. When that unsurprisingly did not work, the shorter boy resorted to kicking him on the shin, though the taller one did not budge. It was not the reaction he hoped for.

“You cheater! You really have the nerve?!”

“Keh.” The shorter boy stopped jumping and crossed his arms. “Jealous?” 

“Why would I?!”

“Uh, ‘cause I won?” The redhead stated confidently, seeming like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“The hell you did! That doesn't count!”

“You two!” A tall boy with mint-coloured hair passed her and got between the bickering boys. “Have some respect. Do you want Master to give you another round of laps?"

The two boys visibly shuddered, but the redhead seemed more disturbed by the thought.

“But I’m tired,” the redhead whined and pouted. “Fine, I’ll be the bigger person here!” He locked his golden eyes on the albino’s red ones. “If that’s what’ll make you happy, you can have my victory. You know that I value our friendship more than anything.”

“Friendship, my ass! You didn’t even win in the first place!” he seethed through gritted teeth. The veins on his neck seemed to bulge as he drew closer to the redhead, hands positioned to strangle him and completely ignoring the mint-haired boy between them. The boy blocked him from getting closer to the redhead, being the only barrier from a possible crime.

“Shush! Don’t be embarrassing. Look,” he pointed to somewhere in her direction, “there’s a girl staring.”

The two boys snapped their heads towards her direction. While the redhead seemed unbothered by her, the albino was the complete opposite. Mouth agape and face growing redder, he looked away from her.

She averted her eyes from the three, looking mildly interested at the ground. She did not mean to eavesdrop. _Hopefully, they would think she is blind by staring blankly at the floor._

Unfortunately for the albino, the redhead noticed his growing embarrassment.

He smirked while wiggling his eyebrows; it was a sign of the danger about to come. “Ya, Hyun. Don’t be a sore loser. And in front of a girl!” The redhead feigned surprise, covering his mouth with his palm. “You’ll look ugly," he clicked his tongue as he shook his head.

“Why you little—!”

“Huh?! Little?!” He lightly shoved the mint-haired boy to the side. With his chin up and chest puffed, he widened his eyes and tiptoed, surpassing his height by barely a hair strand. Hyun, in turn, accepted the challenge by doing exactly the same.

As their display of childish bravado went on, the third-wheeling boy scratched his head. Chinsun couldn’t help but pity his current predicament.

With the two focused on their fight, the boy palmed his face. Peeking at the spaces between his fingers, he looked to her direction and smiled.

She looked behind but there was no one. As she turned her sights back to him, he was already trying to settle the quarrel down.

With no business left—she never had one anyway—she left her spot.

~~~~~~

In just a few minutes, she arrived at the spot where her father now stood, tapping his foot in a fast manner.

“Did I not tell you to stay here?”

“Papa,” she did not meet his eyes. “What did His Majesty say?”

A few seconds of silence went by before he spoke. “I’ll tell you at the inn.”

Her heartbeat thumped faster than ever. _The Creator must have loved dangling her over the edge._

**o-o-o-o**

“Education? Did I hear you wrong?” Chinsun leaned forward, golden eyes widening and lips pursed. Eventually, she could not suppress it any longer and gave in to the toothy grin slowly forming. 

Daejung shook his head, eyes bleary from lack of sleep. It was unsurprising, considering he was one of the best doctors of the land—not that he was complaining. In fact, he could have stopped whenever he wanted, yet he still chose to do it and would continue to do so for a long time.

“Please tell me this isn’t in jest. ‘Cause if so, then it’s not funny,” she pleaded. _This was education he was talking about!_

“It’s not.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “But an offer coming from His Imperial Majesty...” her voice trailed off. 

“No need to decide now. In fact, you don’t even have to accept the offer. You can think about it until my next visit. Of course, it’s entirely up to you. If you ask me, I think it is a good opportunity.” 

Of course, she knew that. In a nation such as the Choi Kingdom with no available institution, homeschooling was the only choice they had and even then, the only ones who had it within arm’s reach were those of noble status. Fortunately, she was one of the privileged able to afford the costly education.

She could have stuck to her current study sessions with her private tutor, but an education offered to the crown prince himself… it must have been of the highest caliber. It must be better than her current studies.

With an offer like that, she should not even be thinking about it. To reject an offer (from the emperor, no less) would not only be wasteful, but it would be foolish and ungrateful as well. It was a decision that should have been made on the spot. It was too good to not be accepted.

_And at the same time, too good to be true. Not everyone can have as much luck as she did. There has to be an exchange..._

“As I said,” he let out a big yawn, causing her to let out her own, “it’s for you to decide. There is no harm in accepting or rejecting it.”

_He was right._ A chance like that was not something that happens often. It pops out and disappears before one could even blink.

Before she could ask her next question, her papa’s snores filled the room.

  
  


**o-o-o-o**

Chinsun sat at the benches alone while her father went inside the house. It was another one of his medical visits that usually took almost three hours. Using the time she had by herself, she drew a moon; it was still an outline and not yet as detailed as she planned it to be. Being the perfectionist she was, she usually took time with her works. Knowing that her father would take long, it was the perfect time to draw something.

“—sun?”

She could faintly hear a voice but she did not respond.

“Chi—?”

The muffled voice pressed on but she was too engrossed in her work to reply or even notice.

It took a violent shake on her shoulder to snap her out of her deep ponder. “CHIN! SUN!”

“Ah!” She dropped her brush. After picking it up, she faced the source of disturbance. Upon seeing the familiar tall, pale-skinned, and black-haired girl tapping her foot, she grinned.

“Eunju! It’s been so long! I missed you!”

The taller girl scoffed at her. “I kept calling you!”

“Hmm?” Chinsun tilted her head. “How come I didn’t hear you?”

“I was shouting your name!”  
  
“Are you sure? I cleaned my ears though,” she mumbled.

Eunju crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh. Though seemingly annoyed, Chinsun knew better. She knew when the other girl was serious, while the other was used to her tendency to space out. Had it been other people, they would have taken her seriously, but not her. In fact, she would go so far as to say it was her talent.

It took intense observation and experience to notice the slight quirk of her lips and the playful glint in her dark brown eyes, a slight oddity amongst the gray-eyed Han citizens: a nuance that Chinsun was used to.

Then again, knowing her for almost five years combined with the occasional medical visits they have with her parents, it was not difficult to notice.

“Anyway, Mother baked biscuits. It’s plenty enough to last you for three days!” She took Chinsun’s hand and pulled her along. “As long as you eat them three times a day.”

**o-o-o-o**

“Really? You will live here?” Eunju beamed at the brunette opposite her. “So you can visit us anytime, am I right?”

“I’m not too sure,” Chinsun whined before taking a bite out of her butter-flavoured biscuit _. It was delicious, but not even the taste gave her comfort._ “If you were in my position, what would you do?”

Eunju scoffed, “Of course I would accept. Why are you even hesitating?” She narrowed her eyes as if remembering something. “On second thought, girls would want to be you just for a chance to get near Prince Hyun.”

“Prince Hyun?” 

_‘What about him? Wasn’t the Crown Prince’s name ‘Jumin’? Or am I misremembering? Prince Hyun…’_ The name sounded familiar but she could not quite pinpoint where or when she had heard it.

“You don’t know? Good-looking, tall, white hair, red eyes?”

She tapped her chin as she racked her memory, “White hair, red eyes…? Does that combination even exist?” she murmured to no one in particular. _She would have noticed such unusual features from the start._

Not long after, she widened her eyes as the image of the squabbling redhead and albino from yesterday flashed in her mind. “Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “I think I saw him!”

“You did?”

“I think so. I wouldn’t say we talked, though. I didn’t even know he was a prince,” she bit her lip. So far, she had been ticking off reasons as to why she was not worthy of His Imperial Majesty’s offer.

“Hm, that’s odd. He’s pretty famous for his unique looks. All over the land. Also, he is very approachable compared to his brother.”

She tilted her head. “Brother?”

“Mm-hmm, Crown Prince Jumin.”

“Crown Prince Jumin? Ah! Is he the tall one with black hair? I attended his party a week ago.”

Eunju nodded. “The one and only. He looks the exact opposite of Prince Hyun.”

Chinsun gulped the embarrassment about to arise. _She had to ask the opinion of a Han citizen._ “What is the royal family like?”

Upon hearing her question, a pause passed between them. Eunju focused her brown eyes on the ceiling. Walls have ears, and considering it was the imperial family they were talking about, she tried to find the perfect words to convey. “His Majesty is a strict but capable ruler. I am not too sure about Her Majesty though. Well, not his mother but the Empress Consort.”

“I see…” Chinsun nodded, pretending to know who she was talking about. ‘ _I might live here from now on… might as well act like a true Han citizen.’_

“His Highness on the other hand,” she hummed in thought, “I guess he seems… cold?”

She flinched. Just the thought of a blunder within his presence was enough to send chills all over. To make matters worse, she was quite inattentive.

“You shouldn’t worry. In fact,” she split the last biscuit in half, offering the other to Chinsun who accepted it, halfheartedly munching on it, "he probably won’t talk to you for more than five seconds.”

Chinsun dusted off the crumbs that fell on her lap. ‘ _Is that a good thing or a bad thing_?’ Before she could answer her own question, they heard a knock. The two turned their attention to it. 

“Eunju?” called the man from the other side.

“Father?” Eunju stood from her seat and made her way to the door.

A tall middle-aged man in crutches entered. The man bore a striking resemblance to his daughter; he was tall and pale with sharp facial features and black hair (albeit with greying streaks). The only differences were his gray eyes and the presence of wrinkles; despite those, he was like his daughter’s older male counterpart.

Following behind was Doctor Bo carrying his backpack of medicine and supplies. “Chinsun, time to go.”

“Aaww,” she pouted. ‘ _Time really flies fast with Eunju.’_ After all, it was not often that they visited the Han empire.

Fortunately, she made up her mind.

  
  


**o-o-o-o**

It was her third time being in the Han household. Three times in less than two weeks, which was more than how much most nobles visited in a month.

Immediately upon telling her papa of her decision to accept His Majesty’s offer, they came back to the Han household the following day. After all, the earlier she accepted, the more lessons she could catch up on.

Before Doctor Bo left for an appointment with a noble from the Hae clan, he informed her of when the class starts and which room she should go to. After kissing her forehead goodbye, she sat on the ground near one of their gardens.

To pass time, she continued her previous sketch of the moon, adding more details to it.

“Hi,” a boy called from behind. Chinsun turned her head back and saw the mint-haired boy from the last time she visited.

“Oh, hello.” She dipped her head and smiled politely.

“Mind if I join you?” He pointed to the spot beside her. When she shook her head, he sat cross-legged beside her.

“Aren’t you the girl with Rika at the party?”

Chinsun paused, biting the wooden end of her brush. “Rika? The pretty blonde?”

“Yes, her.”

Brush still in her mouth, she smirked. “So you recognize her as the ‘pretty blonde’?”

“Ah.” He blushed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “Yes, sort of…” he chuckled.

She giggled at his display of embarrassment, finding his reaction quite endearing. ‘ _Is this what they call ‘puppy love’?_ ’

He cleared his throat and took a peek at her small canvas pad. “Do you like art?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t like me apparently.” She sighed, tearing the page she drew on. Despite it being a work in progress, she did not consider it a waste of effort. After all, she only started yesterday.

“Why were you sketching the moon when it’s sunlight?” he asked as she crumpled the paper.

She hummed, “If you want to put emotion into your art, then you’ll have to draw what you feel, not what you see.”

He nodded. “I see. So what were you feeling when you were drawing the moon, if you don’t mind answering?”

She rolled the ball of paper in her hand and set it down by her side.

“Maybe I’m feeling a bit lonely.”

“If that’s the case,” he scooted towards her, “may I try?”

She giggled, “I was just about to ask you." She handed him her brush, charcoals, and canvas pad.

Upon taking it, he pursed his lips. Narrowing his eyes at the blank page, Chinsun could hear his quiet exhales. He was experiencing, as she likes to call it, ‘an artist’s nightmare’.

She watched him dip the brush into the ink bottle and use it to make an outline of a big circle. It was an imperfect circle, but she cannot blame him; after all, she could not even perfect one. Curious of what he planned to do, she did not dare to disturb him as he seemed too focused. He was so engrossed that he did not even bother tucking the fringe that fell over his left eye while bent down.

Chinsun curiously stared at his face. At first glance, she found him good-looking—perhaps the most good-looking boy she has ever seen—but the longer she stared, the more she couldn’t take her eyes away from his features.

It was a refreshing sight to see, compared to the everyday faces of her father and her tutor.

As she stared at him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was a native of Han. He did not possess the common black hair unique to the Han people; in fact, she had never seen anyone with mint hair, even among the nobles her father usually treated. The closest guess she had was that he was a visiting noble from the kingdom of Hwang.

Once he was done with the outline, he took two charcoals—one yellow and one orange—and faced her. “May I use this?”

“Of course.”

At her response, he gave her a small close-mouthed smile, polite and not necessarily infectious, but it had a gentle charm to it that Chinsun couldn’t help but return his smile with her own.

He proceeded doing gentle strokes of yellow on the canvas, adding orange along the way.

“Does the sun remind you of Rika?”

He coughed, disrupting the intense concentration he had.

_‘Perhaps I was too blunt?’_

“Well, a bit since she gives off this bright aura,” he said as he added shades of white to his art.

Despite meeting Rika only once, their conversation about Rika piqued Chinsun’s curiosity that she wanted to know her more.

_And, perhaps, be friends with each other._

“But I’m doing the sun because my mother likes it.” He softly smiled, to which Chinsun could not help but give a smile of her own.

“By any chance, is this your first time?”

“Hmm, not really. I think this is my… third time? It’s been a long time since I last did this…”

“Are you serious?” Chinsun looked at his artwork, then back to his face. “I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Really?” He focused his mint green eyes on her golden ones. “You think so?”

“Of course!” She beamed and drew closer to him. “If it were my first time, I would have settled with a circle, add a few lines around it and bam!” He flinched at the sudden outburst. “It’s the sun!”

He stared at her with his mouth slightly agape.

In less than a few seconds, the realization sunk in and she scooted away. Feeling the heat rising to her face, she hung her head down.

_‘Was I too invasive? Can he still see my face? I should’ve let my hair down. I guess I should apologize.’_

She faced him but he did not seem to notice; in fact, he was not even looking at her. He had his head down and arms crossed. Without a sound, his body slightly convulsed.

“A-are… are you… are you alright?!”

“Aha,” a whisper at first, until soft giggles emerged. Eventually, he burst out laughing. She stared at him with parted lips, watching his body quiver.

“I-I’m s-so—!” He hugged his sides as he chortled.

Her eyes fixated on the laughing boy beside her. _‘Should I laugh? Is it rude not to? But I don’t know what he’s laughing about…’_

Although his humour was lost on her, she joined him with her own nervous chuckles, trying not to embarrass herself—if she had not done that already.

Finally, the laughs slowed down to chuckles until he was now breathing heavily. She, too, followed suit.

“I apologize,” he faced her. “I’m not making fun of you, if that’s what it seems.”

“I… I see.”

“You just seem embarrassed, that’s all.”

“Uh… huh…” she slowly nodded, wondering if Han nobility had a unique sense of humour or if she simply didn’t have one.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just… you remind me of someone.”

_Someone?_ The corners of his mouth perked up ever so slightly, making her wonder if that ‘someone’ was a special person to him.

Before she could ask, he stood up, dusting off the back of his pants, and handed back her art supplies. “Thank you for letting me use these.”

She nodded as she took them from his hands. “My pleasure! But…” she pointed at his white button-down shirt. A tiny dust of yellow stained it, but it was not as bad as hers.

“Oh, you’re right…” he rubbed the stain off to no avail. He lightly groaned and mumbled something she did not understand. The only word her ears picked up was ‘father’.

“By the way,” he released his shirt, giving up on removing the stain. “I don’t think I asked what your name is…”

“Oh!” She stood and curtsied. “It’s Chinsun! Bo Chinsun."

“Chinsun…” He gave a dimpled smile and nodded. “It was nice talking to you. I hope we meet again.”

“So do I!” 

He waved his hand then walked away.

She stared at his kempt mint hair and retreating figure. For almost two days, she has been waiting not in anticipation but in dread; now, she could finally loosen up. ‘ _Thank heavens there is at least one affable person. I hope I get to see…see...’_

Her eyes narrowed. ‘ _Who was he again? Did I forget his name or did I just forget to ask him?’_

**~ ~ ~ ~**

_couthy_

_(adj.) (of a person) warm and friendly;_

_(of a place) cosy and comfortable_

**~ ~ ~ ~**

* * *

**This wouldn't be our story if it didn't have a meme so...here ya go!**

**Me to Chinsun/MC**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheyy! Baeyoung here! I'm very sorry for the late update! I may be a slow updater, but I won't abandon stories~ I'm loyal, but I sometimes two(or six)-time with other WIPs huehueue
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked this chapter! We greatly appreciate feedback so if you have something you want to say, feel free to comment down below ^^
> 
> Thank you and yororong~
> 
> Notes:  
> Chinsun - MC 1


	5. Keyframe

_Every time Jumin looks at the future crown princess consort, he is reminded of what could have been had he chosen her in the first place._

_“Your Imperial Highness!”_

_His face snapped to the right as his stepmother’s hand slapped his cheek._

_The clap of the deafening slap that resounded in the room shocked the court ladies and maids, but showed no reaction beyond a quick flinch. The last time they witnessed such an event within the palace was when he had been an 8-year old with behaviour unbecoming of a crown prince. It was a time when he could not stomach the empress dowager and empress consort, only ever respecting 3 adults—the emperor, Marquess Kim, and former general Seukchin. By the age of 10, while he still despised his paternal grandmother and stepmother, he was able to maintain civil and harden his emotions around them._

_“Lady Sarah came weeping to me earlier. Are you still going to be stubborn? You two will be the future Mother and Father of this empire! Do you hate me that much for being concerned about the empire? No matter what, you must show your subjects that there isn’t any tension between the crown prince and the crown princess consort!” Glam huffed and placed a hand over her forehead. “Do you hate me that much?”_

_“I don’t wish to lie to you, Your Imperial Majesty.”_

_Empress Glam scoffed. “Filial piety absolutely means nothing to you.”_

_“I respect and look up to His Imperial Majesty, and will do so even after my last breath.”_

_The empress massaged her temples. She assumed that her stepson finally changed, but has apparently brought his stubbornness until adulthood._

_“Don’t push Lady Sarah away. Accept her affections not only with an open heart but with your subjects in mind. A lovely lady like her isn’t difficult to love. You will learn to love her if only you give her a chance.”_

_“With all due respect, Your Imperial Majesty, I highly doubt the possibility.”_

_“You...How long will you grieve that girl’s death? What does such an insignificant girl have that you can’t let go of her?!”_

_“Watch your tongue, Your Imperial Majesty.” He spat, his tone as chilly as a harsh Han blizzard. As he towered over the empress, it looked as though he was staring her down. “Everything Lady Sarah doesn't have, she has. But I’m aware that that’s not an answer that should come from the mouth of a crown prince, so I’ll answer in an objective manner. She may not be an empress in name…”_

_Right now, saying how he felt for her would not satisfy the empress’ answer. She would accuse him as a future ruler easily swept away by feelings._

_“But she has everything it takes to become an empress. Over the course of her education, she has shown capability and diligence to be a ruler, something that Lady Sarah could never achieve in her lifetime.”_

_The empress consort clenched her fists, knuckles turning white as she visibly seethed._

_“When will you ever obey me? I just want what’s best for the empire!”_

_“For the empire? Or for your selfish wish?”_

_She slapped him again, accidentally scratching his face with her ring, but the stinging did not stop him from spitting his venomous words._

_Laying a hand upon a member of the imperial family was considered_ _a despicable act punishable by death, as it meant defiance to the Saints._

_But his stepmother was the empress consort while he was just a mere crown prince. Between the two, she will always be more powerful than him._

_In spite of that, he was unwilling to yield to her._

_“Even if Lady Sarah trains for endless hours to be worthy of your position, our empire’s subjects are of no concern to her. No matter how many decades it takes to groom Lady Sarah as the next empress, she could only be an empress in name, not the empress this land needs. Etch her name as many times as you wish in history books, but for the centuries to come, her name will be a mere scribble of ink not even deserving of a single stanza. Amongst ballads dedicated only to the greatest royals in all of history, her name will be forgotten. She won’t even have the glory of being an afterthought. The same goes for you, Empress.”_

  
  


_Regardless of the imperial family’s wishes…he would still choose Chinsun, even if it took a thousand ships to sway him and a thousand swords to intimidate him._

_“Your wishes will only satiate your hunger for power, but not the hunger of the subjects of our land.”_

_Chinsun showed unconditional compassion for the people; something even the emperor and the empress dowager never showed. With them, there always had to be something in return; but Chinsun never cared for such matters._

_She had everything it takes to build the empire even more beautiful than it already was._

_“Please leave. May the Saints bestow eternal blessings upon the great Han Empire.”_

_“Crown Prince. In a week, your wedding will be held. I expect you to be at your best behaviour.”_

_With a final glare, Empress Glam turned and left his room. Jumin continued to shoot daggers at the door._

_Even after a year of losing her, to this day, she still seems to haunt him. If only he believed that fortune teller..._

_He used to look down on his younger half-brother for believing in fortune tellers. Cards, palms, tea leaves...to Jumin, they were quacks that leach off of gullible customers’ purses._

_It should have been a joyous festival for her but ever since, her paranoia grew with each passing day. Jumin had told her not to worry about it, especially since it did not come from the Blessed._

_Every time he looks at his wife-to-be, his ash gray eyes could only hold a smoldering contempt and a biting chill for her. How strange it was, that even with the most attractive ladies vying for his attention, they could never replace a ghost._

_Taking the cross-stitched cloth from his bedside table, he felt a slight sting coming from his eyes. He sat on his bed, eyes closed and jaw clenched. With several breaths through the nose, he balled his trembling fists._

_‘A crown prince never shows his emotions,’ his grandmother had always told him._

_With an exhale, he opened his eyes and the stinging was gone. He placed the crumpled cloth on his lap, straightening its creases as best as he could._

_Had he known the prophecy was an omen for the future that befell her, he would not have chosen Chinsun._

**o-o-o-o**

Chinsun took a deep breath and gripped her knapsack as the senior court lady and two junior court ladies led her around the maze-esque hallway of the palace. 

Her nerves may not be calm at the moment, but her excitement overpowered whatever worries she harbored. Due to her anticipation, she was unable to sleep the whole night and even now, drowsiness hasn’t washed over her yet.

Despite not being the first time she had visited the Han palace, this time was different; _she was stepping inside not as a guest, but as a student!_

A low-ranking noble lady that His Imperial Majesty specifically requested; it was an unofficial title that welled her chest with pride. Should His Imperial Majesty award her a medallion of it, she would graciously accept and show it off to the world.

_Subtly._

The travel from the Choi Kingdom to the Han Empire was not a short one; it would be difficult to travel back and forth from Choi to Han, which was why it took her father almost 5 days just to return home—2 days spent travelling and 3 spent during his medical missions. It was her first time being independent and after ending her classes, it would be the first time she would book an inn without her father. She prayed to the Creator that her budget would last for two weeks, as she can only return home thrice in one month.

But the moment she had stepped in the Han palace, she did not even need to worry about an inn. The court ladies led her not to the room where their classes would be held, but to her own bedroom!

All she could think of was how she was the luckiest girl in the empire. She should have known when the emperor had not had her beheaded that he indeed had boundless generosity. 

Chinsun walked towards the wooden closet. She took her knapsack off her shoulders and opened the closet’s doors.

“Wow.” She gaped at the neat row of dresses hanging above.

She did not even have to bring her own clothes; her room already had a cabinet of clothes that would last her a month.

She glided her fingers downwards on the smooth fabric; soft to the touch without a single thread out of place. Of course, she was aware that the Imperial family would never in their lifetime own anything less than silk, but this was too much, even for a noble.

_‘What holy actions did my past self do to bless me so?’_

Inside were nightgowns and casual everyday wear. She took one from a hanger and held it in front of her. It seemed to be her size. _How did they even know what her measurements were?_

She then walked to the bed and sat. On the side table, she saw a piece of paper tucked under a vase. She took it and found out that it was her class schedule.

Her daily classes would be History, Ethics, Philosophy, Literature, and Arithmetics. Combat lessons were to be attended four times a week. Etiquette for Ladies would be held once a week and was, according to the schedule, a subject reserved only for her.

At first, she worried that she would not be able to keep up with the others, but her father had told her that His Majesty asked him which topics she stopped at in each subject. Since she has already finished tackling the same topics as theirs, she would attend alongside them, except for Etiquette for Ladies and Combat. For Combat classes, she would learn one-on-one with an instructor since unlike the boys, she was only a beginner, and wouldn't be able to keep up with their lessons. 

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

“My lady, your classes are about to start, “ the court lady called from the other side of the door.

. 

. 

. 

. 

Chinsun stood in front of the closed room, gathering her composure and trying to quell her giddiness. She made a constant reminder to leave a good first impression to the teachers and not let His Imperial Majesty down.

“Lady Bo will enter.” The senior court lady behind her announced.

_“Lady Bo?”_ She heard a muffled male voice say. _“Who’s that?”_

Chinsun twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. Five heads turned to her direction and the room went silent. They seemed shocked, except for the Crown Prince sitting by the wall.

As she heard the faint sound of the door closing, she gulped and curtsied. “My name is Chinsun Bo. I come from the Kingdom of Choi and will be studying here as per His Imperial Majesty’s boundless generosity.”

“His Imperial Majesty brought you here?” said a redhead in front of another boy that looked exactly like him. “Oh, is that why we have a new table here?”

Chinsun nodded.

“You must be the girl His Majesty mentioned two nights prior.” Crown Prince Jumin said, shifting his sights back to his book.

A white-haired boy clicked his tongue as he shook his head. “How unfriendly. Don’t mind that pompous ass. I’m Hyun, the most handsome human in this empire.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Ah, you don’t need to call me that. I mean, I look more princely than that guy over there,” he jabbed a thumb at the crown prince’s direction, “but you don’t have to.”

“No one needs to call you _‘Your Highness’_ since you don’t act like one.”

“Why yo—”

“I’m Saeyoung! The genius swordsman!” His loud voice overpowered Prince Hyun’s tirade. “And this is my twin brother, Saeran! I’m five minutes older than him, by the way.”

“That’s...unnecessary information, brother.”

Chinsun smiled. “It's nice to meet you, Saeyoung. By any chance, where can I sit?”

“Oh, you can sit there." He pointed to a table behind Saeran. 

“Thank you.”

Chinsun placed her bag over her table and sat. In front of her, Saeran was jotting something down on his notebook while two tables to her left, the crown prince continued reading his book, undisturbed by the loud voices coming from the two boys. 

Only she and those two stayed silent. Two tables across from her, Saeyoung was teasing Prince Hyun, whose annoyance was clearly shown through his gritted teeth and furrowed brows, but that only seemed to provoke the redhead more.

“I’m telling you; you should cut your hair.” Saeyoung said, bringing his hand near Hyun’s face in a cutting gesture.

Prince Hyun slapped the redhead’s hand away and visibly shuddered. “What did my hair ever do to you?”

“It sometimes whips my face whenever we do combat lessons. I hate it.”

“Don’t force him, Saeyoung,” Crown Prince Jumin unexpectedly said.

“Finally, you did something good for once,” Prince Hyun said. 

“Without his hair, he would lose whatever _‘good looks’_ he has. Let him keep it.”

“Even with hair, you’re still no match for me.”

Crown Prince Jumin did not seem to be offended by Prince Hyun’s petty insults, even delivering some short insults of his own.

Chinsun finally got a good look at the crown prince. He had slightly tousled jet black hair with stray strands hanging over his eyes—something she did not expect to come from a royal, much less the crown prince, but it suited him well. His face was unreadable and showed no emotion, along with ash gray eyes that emphasized his cold demeanour.

Being in a room as the only outcast made her feel out of place. If only Rika and Yoosung were there. Or even that friendly boy with the mint hair and mint eyes whose name she did not know of.

The door opened and when she turned her head to its direction, in came the nameless boy she has just been thinking of.

“Good morning everyone,” he said in a voice pleasant to her ears. It was soft, but not so much that it couldn’t be heard in the whole room.

“Lord Jihyun! You’re a bit late than usual,” Saeyoung said.

_‘Ah, Jihyun.’_ At least, she would be spared the embarrassment of asking for his name. 

Jihyun scratched his head and smiled. “I had to do something. My apologies.”

As he made his way towards Crown Prince Jumin, his eyes landed on her and his brows perked slightly. “Lady Chinsun?”

“Ah, Lord Jihyun.” She stood and curtsied.

“You know her?” the crown prince asked.

“I met her a while earlier. Isn’t that right, Lady Chinsun?”

Their conversation was abruptly cut off when their lecturer came. And thus, Philosophy class in the Han palace began.

**o-o-o-o**

Later that night after classes ended, it took all of Chinsun’s will to restrain her from ripping her hair out. She assumed that her bedroom was the only bedroom in the whole palace whose lanterns were still lit at that hour.

_‘I might as well be a palace guard. Wait, focus!’_ She shook her head. _‘I won’t improve if I give up now!’_

Her eyes were feeling heavy while her head unconsciously bobbed at times, almost hitting her study desk two hours prior, but would immediately catch herself every time. 

She sniffed. The pages of her book have been stained with dried tears. In all of the years she has lived, she excelled the most in History, Philosophy and Literature, as those topics managed to grip her interest ever since she was young. Science was easy, as long as she studied well while with combat, she has not tried landing a punch yet, let alone swinging a sword, but would learn it during Combat class within the week. But with Arithmetics… 

She has never been skilled when it came to the subject. Compared to nobles her age, she only managed to completely memorize the multiplication table 3 years ago, whereas they managed to achieve the same feat at 8 years old.

“Aaaah!” Chinsun buried her face on her arms. Tears of frustration began to spring out of her eyes. 

What if they looked down on not only her, but her father and the Choi people as well? They must have been expecting an immensely talented girl for the emperor to personally bring to the palace…

“No, no.” Chinsun lifted her face up, lightly slapped her cheeks a few times, and raised both fists. “I can’t disappoint His Majesty. You can do this, Chinsun! You shall not sleep until you understand the lessons!”

The next day, Prince Hyun mistook her for a ghost, claiming that he almost died from a heart attack, while Crown Prince Jumin once again insulted him for believing in baseless legends.

**o-o-o-o**

_The Second Day_

After being dismissed from their last subject, the twins and Prince Hyun already left. Jihyun was already placing his things inside his bag while Crown Prince Jumin waited for him outside the door.

Meanwhile, Chinsun still has not fixed her things. When she saw Jihyun about to close his bag, she called him. “Lord Jihyun?”

Jihyun turned to look at her and politely smiled. “Yes? Are you alright, my lady?”

“I…”

“Jihyun.”

They both glanced at Crown Prince Jumin standing near the doorway, and she casted her eyes to the ground.

“I’ll catch up to you later, Your Imperial Highness.”

The crown prince seemed confused, but agreed and exited the room.

Jihyun faced her. “Are you alright, my lady?” he asked as his eyes landed on the bags under her eyes. He said nothing despite it being noticeable even from afar.

Her cheeks heated as she gathered her courage. “I am ashamed to even ask this of you, but…” Chinsun closed her eyes and with a deep breath, rushed her words out of her mouth. “I’ve been having so much of a hard time with Arithmetics class and I was wondering if I can ask for your help? It’s fine if you reject, but I’m just so desperate!”

Her father has always hammered in her head that she should uphold her pride at all times, even if they weren’t of the highest nobility. Today was an exception.

“Sure. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just inform His Imperial Highness that I would not be able to join him. I’ll quickly come back.”

When he left the room, Chinsun placed a hand on her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. She silently squealed, grinning from ear to ear as she jumped and spun around.

But her victory dance was short-lived when she heard a voice that sent a tingle down her back.

“I apologize for the wait, my lady.”

She was frozen in her spot, arms raised and hip slightly cocked to the side.

_‘Kill me now!’_

Heat rising to her face, Chinsun cleared her throat and stood straight. She turned around to face him. He was wearing his usual smile, but his face was more flushed than usual.

_‘Did he just laugh at me?’_

“Shall we start our lesson, my lady?”

She loudly let out the breath she has been holding in, but immediately composed herself before another embarrassing situation arises. At least, he was polite enough to let her shameless act slide.

“Sure!”

She sat down on her table while Jihyun pulled the nearest chair and sat opposite her. 

“First, is there a particular topic you find especially difficult?”

_The dreaded question._

She fiddled with her thumbs and avoided his gaze. “Um...all?” she mumbled.

Jihyun slightly widened his eyes while Chinsun wanted to slip out of existence.

“This will take quite a long time. Is it fine with you?”

“Of course! But I don’t want to bother you, my lord...”

“Nonsense. It's alright with me.”

They started their lesson and before they knew it, three hours had passed and the sun was about to set.

Jihyun was an effective and patient teacher. He was even better than every teacher she had in her whole life. Even when he had to repeat the same topic thrice, he did not show any sign of irritation or arrogance. Whenever he noticed her getting weary, he would offer her sweets from his bag and allow her to rest. During those quick breaks, they would pass time just by talking.

Their topics ranged from the mundane to serious. When she asked him if he liked sweets, he answered that he does not eat them often and that he only had them with him because he knew that the twins, especially Saeran, had a sweet tooth. When she mentioned how he had potential to be an artist, he said that he liked visiting galleries, but doubts that he would ever make a masterpiece of his own. Chinsun had noticed that he did not like to go into details of it, so she shifted the subject to his friendship with Crown Prince Jumin. 

Jihyun had fondly mentioned that he knew the crown prince ever since he was 6 years old when the emperor chose his father, Marquess Kim, as his advisor. Everyone around him always remarked how Jihyun and Crown Prince Jumin were opposites, but complemented each other. While he had a princely quality to him similar to Crown Prince Jumin, the aura they exuded differed so much; whereas the crown prince had an intimidating presence easily felt amongst a crowd, Jihyun was welcoming and approachable. If Crown Prince Jumin was as cold as the Han winter, Jihyun was as warm as the Choi autumn. Everyone was sure that when they become of age, Crown Prince Jumin would choose him as his own advisor. It was one of his many reasons why he takes his studies seriously.

He had also briefly talked about Rika, mentioning that she was the princess of the Moon Kingdom, much to Chinsun’s surprise.

_“Gods! Why did no one tell me? You mean to tell me that I treated her as if she was a casual friend? How ignorant could I even be? I only know Her Highness Mika,” she whined, lightly banging her forehead against her desk. “I should have noticed that ‘Rika’ rhymes with ‘Mika’.”_

_Jihyun chuckled. “Don't worry. Her Highness treats everyone she meets, regardless of class, as though they were a longtime friend of hers,” he reassured her with a fond smile playing on his lips. "That’s why she’s the Moon Kingdom’s beloved princess.”_

That revelation did not come as a shock anymore. Princess Rika was indeed lovable. 

But another shock came when Chinsun nonchalantly talked about Yoosung and Jihyun revealed that Yoosung, just like him, was of the Blessed Kim clan, and that he was planning to become a healer immediately upon reaching of age. 

Chinsun asked him if there ever was a time when he manifested a Blessed power. Jihyun replied with a “No”, saying that he cannot use even a small amount of mana. However, he recalled a time back when he was 7, when he had a vivid dream of someone dying. When he told his father about it, he was told to think nothing of it.

_“At first,” he began, “I thought it was because we are from a Blessed clan. However, it still didn’t make sense since clairvoyance only happens to a rare few but even then, it only manifests through a ritual dance, not through dreams. Oh, that’s why you shouldn’t believe any fortune teller that uses cards and what-not.”_

_“I’ll keep that in mind. And...what happened then?"_

_Jihyun smiled, but unlike the smiles he has shown her so far, this one was genuine, but had notes of sadness to it. “She died a year later. The same way she died in my dream.”_

Jihyun had not specified who it was that died, but Chinsun did not prod further.

When he had nothing more to say, Jihyun asked for stories of her own in return for telling her about himself. She told him how she was only able to perfect her embroidery a year ago; how her father would go on medical missions and offer his services for free, except when it came to the rich; how she never had any close friends except for Unju and a few older ladies near their home; how she would always pass time by reading books and painting; how she wanted to create beautiful architecture that would stand tall even after many centuries pass. 

_“Can I tell you an ambitious dream?”_

_He leaned towards her, his interest piqued. “Go on.”_

_“I know I don’t come from a prestigious family, but…”_

_She took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe that she was revealing all of this to someone she just met, but there was something about Jihyun that made her at ease._

_“I want to help and inspire people. I come from Choi and my father’s a doctor, so I’ve seen many experiencing hardships. One day, I want to make an impact in the whole empire. I want to be inspiring and memorable enough to have my name written in history books; to have historians wondering what I was like beneath all my achievements.”_

_Jihyun listened intently to her, nodding along as she spoke, and would ask questions, but never cut her off mid-sentence._

_“Of course, it may not happen. That’s why I called it an ambitious dream…"_

_For a while, Jihyun did not say anything. Chinsun was starting to regret ever telling him, as she felt his gaze on her. Perhaps he was judging her, wondering how someone could be so arrogant?_

_In what seemed like an eternity, he broke the silence. “I think it’s good to have ambition. The greatest emperors are ones who built the empire with an ambition in mind.”_

_“Yeah! I think so too!”_

She was glad to have someone to talk to about things even her father was unaware of. It felt as though her dreams would surely happen now that there was someone to witness her promise.

When they had nothing else left to say, they went back to their lesson.

The next day, she was able to confidently hand her seatwork to their teacher.

**o-o-o-o**

_The Third Day_

When lunch came, the five students were led to the guests’ dining area, while the princes headed to the dining area reserved for the imperial family.

Lunch wasn’t as strict as she thought it would be, but she figured that it was because the Imperial family were not there. They had casual chats and it was not so awkward for Chinsun since Jihyun would sometimes pull her and Saeran in on the conversation whenever he noticed them being quiet. 

While it was enjoyable, there was still a spare hour after lunch. During that hour, they went by with their own businesses—Jihyun accompanied Crown Prince Jumin, while Prince Hyun went to his bedroom for a quick nap, and the twins headed to the archery range.

Chinsun, having no one there that she was close to, had nowhere to go. She considered sleeping in her bedroom, but feared that she might wake up late.

She roamed around the halls, occasionally stopping to admire the paintings that hung on the wall—whether abstract, landscape art, or portraits of the emperors over the centuries. 

While walking aimlessly, she thought of visiting the palace library but did not even know where it was; asking the court ladies was out of the question since their stern and emotional demeanour intimidated her.

Just when she was thinking about court ladies, porcelain shattered on the ground. 

She has conveniently bumped into a court lady. 

“I’m so sorry!”

Chinsun’s dress now had a large brown stain on her skirt.

The girl got to her knees and bowed until her head touched the floor. “I deserve nothing less than death for my impudence.”

Chinsun widened her eyes and helped the girl up by her elbow, but she would not budge. “No, no! It’s fine, really. And besides,” she brought the wet part to her nose, sniffing the liquid’s herbal scent, “it doesn’t smell bad!”

The court lady avoided Chinsun’s eyes, picking up the shards of what used to be the teapot.

Guilt-stricken, Chinsun got to her knees and wiped the spilled liquid with the skirt of her dress. The court lady widened her eyes.

“My lady, what are you doing?”

“I’m also at fault because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.” Chinsun said as she twisted the drenched part of her skirt. “Who were you planning to deliver this to?”

The girl visibly paled. “Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Mother and Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Consort.”

At that, Chinsun’s face turned to the same colour as the girl’s. She has never met both empresses but from what her ears had caught through hearsays, they were strict and merciless. To what extent, she did not know and would rather not find out.

“My sincerest gratitudes, my lady. I’ll do my best to be able to pay the kindness you have shown me.”

The court lady avoided her hazel eyes from Chinsun’s eyes. From the way she wore her waist-length brown hair in a low braid and the brown sash tied around her waist, Chinsun figured that she was a junior court lady. Although not quite a high rank, it was quite high for someone her age.

Unlike Rika’s beauty that attracted gazes even from the first glance, the court lady’s beauty was simple and subtle; the kind that seemed ordinary upon first laying eyes on it, but the longer Chinsun stared, the more her beauty bloomed. Should she dress up nicely like all nobles do, she may even be in the same league as the beautiful noblewomen.

“You don’t have to—on second thought, tell me your name?”

“Pardon?”

Chinsun smiled and offered her hand. “You can pay me by just telling your name. I’ll go first. I’m Chinsun Bo from Gwang, Choi Kingdom.” 

The girl hesitated for a moment and finally accepted Chinsun’s hand. “Jaehee. Jaehee Kang.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jaehee! Oh, and do you know where the library is?”

**o-o-o-o**

In the palace garden specially designed to suit the Emperor’s late father’s tastes, Empress Glam was taking a leisurely stroll alongside two of her ladies-in-waiting and three court ladies accompanying her. The autumn breeze that the gods have bestowed that tranquil afternoon was crisp and fresh, not too cold as to leave a frostbite, but refreshing enough that it could cool down the worries plaguing her mind…

One such worry included her stepson, the Crown Prince himself. He grew out of his disrespectful phase a long time ago, but still retained his stubbornness.

Her perfectly composed expression was ruined by the furrowing of her brows.

“Taehee.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” the black-haired lady-in-waiting by her right answered.

“Who’s that girl sitting over there?” Empress Glam pointed to a bench occupied by a girl reading a thick book. “And which clan does she belong to?”

“I believe she’s Lady Chinsun of the Bo clan, and she’s the young lady that His Imperial Majesty personally requested.”

_Personally._ That word alone was enough to shatter her good mood. Of all girls he had to ask, why did he have to pick such a plain one whose family’s nobility status was so low, they might as well be commoners. The only thing they could boast was the doctor’s reputation as the best in the empire.

Glam hummed in thought. She knew her husband offered her such an opportunity as gratitude to the doctor for treating the late empress before her. If it were her, she would have just sent them a large sum of gold… There was no need for inviting her to the palace.

_Unless…_

“Bring her to me.”

A few moments later, Chinsun arrived, accompanied by two of the empress consort’s ladies-in-waiting.

Chinsun lowered her eyes to not meet the empress’ brown ones, and curtsied. “Your Imperial Majesty. May the Saints bestow eternal blessings upon the great Han Empire.”

The empress consort was a beautiful woman, but not as beautiful as Rika; she was slender and had her brown hair tied up in an elegant bun, with a metal haircomb sticking on top of it. The jewelry she wore was eye-catching—layered pendant necklace, earrings, and three rings on each hand; Chinsun was not familiar with stones, but she guessed that one item of it looked more expensive than her own jewelry combined. Tall, head raised high and posture perfectly straight, she held herself in a regal manner.

  
  


Chinsun was not a short girl and, in fact, was of average height herself, but under the empress’ scrutinizing stare, she felt like a small prey.

“What’s your name, child?”

Chinsun gulped. “Chinsun Bo, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Hmm…” The empress took two steps closer to her. “I was curious about the girl His Imperial Majesty is so fond of. I was expecting someone with beauty as striking as the princess of Hwang, but…”

_‘Beauty? What does that have to do with education?’_

The empress eyed her from head to toe. Chinsun should have listened to her gut feeling when it told her to not visit the garden, but she could not help it; the ambience there was so calming that she chose it as her reading spot. Now that the empress consort was intimidating her, she may have to stick to the palace library. 

Glam smirked. “As I thought. His Majesty really did bring you here for education.”

Chinsun’s brows knitted together. _‘Isn’t that what I’m here for?’_

“How are you doing with your studies?” she asked.

“I’m… I’m doing fine, Your Imperial Majesty, although I still have a lot to learn.”

_‘Especially with Arithmetics.’_

“Oh? And here I thought His Majesty brought a prodigy.” She sighed. “I must take my leave. Thank you for sparing time with me, Lady Bo. I hope you’ll enjoy your classes here in our household.”

After Chinsun did the customary curtsy and farewell greeting, Empress Glam walked away. Once they were out of the garden and Chinsun was out of sight and earshot, her expression darkened. She grabbed the nearest rose from a bush and threw it on the ground.

She always thought she had her husband wrapped around her finger, but as it turned out, he might not be as gullible as what she and the empress dowager thought.

**o-o-o-o**

_The Fourth Day_

It was another lonely day for the friendless Chinsun. She had passed time reading the sixth emperor’s autobiography. Now that she’s finished it and returned it back to the library, she went back to the classroom with nothing left to do but sleep. 

When she opened her eyes, she was about to sleep again when the door opened and banged against the wall.

Chinsun immediately sat up, wide-eyed and senses fully awakened. She snapped her head to the door and saw the twins, who were looking at her with tilted heads and puzzled expressions. 

“Hello.”

“You’re Lady Bo, right?” Saeyoung asked, sitting on Jumin’s spot while Saeran sat on Jihyun’s seat. “Why are you still here?”

“I don’t have anyone to accompany me during lunch.”

“If that's the case, Saeran and I could be your lunch buddies from now on! Is that alright with you?”

Chinsun beamed at the two. “Thank you so much, you two. You are from Choi as well, right?” she asked. Seeing their red hair provided her a bit of comfort since it was a hair colour mostly seen in Choi natives and, to a lesser extent, Hwang. The homesickness she felt slightly dissipated upon finding another fellow Choi.

“Mm-hmm.”

Saeran nervously eyed the nonchalant Saeyoung, who was taking out a sausage from a plastic bag and dunking it inside Prince Jumin’s water bottle. Chinsun swallowed the urge to throw up.

“So which clan do you come from?”

Saeyoung stopped shaking the water bottle at her casual question, but continued after a while. Unlike before, his eyes were now intensely fixated on the floating paticles coming from the submerged sausage. “We don’t belong to any clan.”

“Oh.”

Even though red hair was scattered all throughout the Choi Kingdom, it was usually possessed by aristocrats and nobles, and thus, was not as common as the usual brown hair of the Choi commonfolk. She would have understood if he were from Hwang since the people there had no shortage of unique hair colours even amongst the commoners...

Chinsun decided not to prod further and swiftly shifted the subject.

“Saeran, what are you reading?”

Aside from Crown Prince Jumin, she has never talked to Saeran at all during the duration of her stay. He seemed to be consumed by shyness in the presence of acquaintances and strangers and was at his most comfortable with his brother and Jihyun. 

“Oh, it’s...a book gifted to me by Jihyun.”

“A book?” Chinsun tilted her head. “What is it about?”

“An encyclopedia of flowers,” he mumbled, so quietly that Chinsun almost had not heard him. From the corner of her eye, she could see Saeyoung giving her a look of suspicion.

_‘Did I say something wrong?’_

“That’s really interesting!” she said, ears catching a relieved sigh coming from Saeyoung. “Do you like flowers?”

“Y-Yes, I…do.”

“So have you already memorized all of the flowers?”

Saeran’s shy expression soon turned into an enthusiastic one and his speech became slightly sped up as he talked about the meanings of flowers and the genus with the most beautiful flower species.

Chinsun had enough self-control to resist grabbing his face and pinching his cheeks as hard as she could. Never in her twelve years of living has she seen someone instill in her an urge to protect until she talked to Saeran. If she had the power, she would willingly launch a thousand ships and fire ten thousand canons just to shield him from the harshness of the world.

His brimming enthusiasm with flowers reminded her of herself, who often bored her friend whenever she talked about architecture and literature.

“That’s impressive. Do you have a favourite flower?”

“Um,” Saeran looked up at the ceiling and tapped his chin. “I do like lilies-of-the valley and forget-me-nots.”

It was faint and nigh-indiscernible, but there was a small smile playing on Saeran’s lips at the moment.

She glanced at Saeyoung who was also looking at Saeran but this time, his expression was the softest she has ever seen him have. A small part of her felt a pang of jealousy; she has always been an only child—her mother died giving birth to her while her biological father died before she was even born. By the grace of the Creator and guidance of the Saints, the doctor was kind enough to adopt her and treat her as if they shared the same blood.

Sometimes though, she wished he could find a wife and have a sibling of her own. If only he wasn’t such a workaholic.

**o-o-o-o**

Every mealtime, the court ladies would knock on her door and lead her way to the dining room where the members of the imperial family ate.

Mealtimes with them were silent and awkward, with only the scraping of forks and knives to be heard. Sometimes, Jihyun, and the twins along with their guardian, their combat class’ instructor would be invited before they leave the palace.

After dinner, Chinsun was about to head to her room when Emperor Han unexpectedly called her.

“Your Imperial Majesty. May the Saints bestow eternal blessings upon the great Han Empire.” Chinsun said with a curtsy.

_‘That reminds me… I’ve never spoken to him ever since His Imperial Highness’ birthday celebration…’_

The Emperor gave off an intimidating aura befitting the ruler of the empire. Looking at him closer, she realized he did not resemble Crown Prince Jumin at all.

She wanted to erase the thought materializing in her head…

_‘He must’ve inherited his good looks from his mother.’_

Guilt immediately awashed her. There she was, indirectly insulting the emperor’s looks when he had given her better education.

_‘It’s not that he’s ugly! He just...doesn’t look like His Imperial Highness.’_

She has never seen the emperor’s first wife but if she looked like Crown Prince Jumin, Chinsun thought that she must have been a great beauty one couldn’t take their eyes off.

“Lady Bo, would you like to play chess with me?”

“P-pardon?”

“I am in the mood for a challenging game. Unfortunately, my advisor cannot come and the crown prince...” He sighed. “He’s too busy for a game of chess with his father.”

Chinsun fought back a frown from showing. She was somewhat disappointed with the crown prince, expecting more from him. Regardless of how busy he was, he should still make time for his father who fed, clothed, and taught him for 15 years.

_‘Well, he must have his reasons. But still!'_

“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. I would be honoured to play a game with you.”

Emperor Han nodded. “Follow me.”

Chinsun followed him to a room guarded by two royal guards. Upon seeing the emperor, they genuflected and when the emperor told them to rise, they opened the door for him. Once he, Chinsun, and his two eunuchs entered, they doors closed behind them. 

The room was spacious, but not so extravagant. There were statues on every corner of the room, along with surely costly furniture, ornaments, and paintings.

He led her to a table with two velvet armchairs on opposite sides.

“Come, sit.” he said, gesturing to the seat opposite him.

She did as ordered.

“Do you know how to play chess?” he asked.

“I don’t consider myself as an expert, but I do know the basics.”

“That’s enough, then. Do you want to be black or white?”

“White, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The only experience she had with chess were the numerous games she played with her father, two chess books, and the occasional times she played without an opponent. Compared to her, the emperor’s skill was far above her own, and she was sure that the crown prince would have been a better opponent for him.

As they played the game, Chinsun tried analyzing the emperor’s moves, face scrunched in intense concentration as she made her move. 

After three games, she still has not obtained a victory.

By the fourth game, the emperor noticed a pattern. 

“I am curious, Lady Chinsun. You seem afraid every time you lose a pawn, but not so much when it comes to the knight or bishop.”

“Oh, I’m still afraid of losing them…”

“Yes, but you seem more afraid of losing your pawns.”

“It’s because…a pawn may be the weakest piece that people do not care for, but unlike the higher pieces, it can be anything once it reaches the other side. A knight, rook, bishop, and even a queen. I care about the pieces equally, but what I value the most are the king, queen, and pawns.”

Emperor Han did not answer, expression unreadable behind his steepled hands.

“I’ve especially grown fond of it after reading about the legendary Marchioness Chai.”

“Marchioness Chai?” He furrowed his brows. “That’s advanced literature and you’ve managed to read the whole book?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The Choi Kingdom did not have an educational institution for women unlike Han, Hwang, and Moon. For noble ladies like her, their only option was to be homeschooled.

“Well, can you explain why you’re fond of her?”

Nervousness now dissipated over the course of their game, Chinsun delivered her explanation in the best way she could. “The marchioness used to be a pitiful slave who had to join the army so she could volunteer in her sickly younger brother’s place. No one cared that she was as good as dead since she was just a mere pawn, but with determination and quick wits, she was able to fight off the rebels even when her superiors were being slain left and right. And even in the face of death, she never wavered or betrayed her king. Her contributions to their victory impressed the king so much that she was bestowed that position.”

It was a tale she could never tire of reading and has read it numerous times that she already had the story committed to memory.

“The pawn is a reminder that regardless of status, one can rise to power as long as they’re worthy.”

For a while, Emperor Han stayed silent, his expression uncomfortably hardened.

Chinsun made her move.

“Check, Your Imperial Majesty.”

His gaze shifted from her to the board. Her first check—a pawn that just turned into a queen, targeting his king. 

The corners of his lips perked up. “Seems like I’ve made the right choice.”

“Pardon?”

In the end, they reached a stalemate and Chinsun was dismissed to her quarters.

The emperor has played with master chess players, and Chinsun was no match for them. In fact, her playing style was far from being an effective strategy...

Nevertheless, it piqued his interest.

**o-o-o-o**

The girl her husband brought disgusted her. She had a suspicion that gratitude was not the sole reason for bringing that girl. The emperor was a visionary man, whose every decision was a key for the future he had in mind.

Glam gave her lady-in-waiting a knowing smile. “Has the messenger left?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“That’s good.” She leaned back on her seat. “We have to be patient. For now, Lady Sarah is our best bet.”

If her suspicions were right, she had to make her move. After all, the empire she had in mind was far different from his own.

_**~ ~ ~ ~** _

_keyframe_

_n._ a moment that seemed innocuous at the time but ended up marking a diversion into a strange new era of your life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheyyy! Thank you for reading! Sorry for the late update ToT my Internet has been unstable for the past week, so yuuuhhh
> 
> Do tell us what you think, if it's alright! Kudos and comments are highly appreciated ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Yohoho goise if you reached this part, hurrah! We hope you liked the chapter for our new story~ Do leave reviews on what we can improve and if you like it, comments and kudos that stroke our egos would definitely be appreciated (jk half-meant). Of course, only if you want to ~
> 
> Also, here's a playlist if you guys are interested! 
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/77hdJO74WYA0Oe8ChHsX9P?si=pM9OYpZCRXCKHNOWLLtEPg


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